Request Board Romance
by MorriganFae
Summary: Lucy and Levy are new to Fairy Tail. Having spent most of their lives at the all-girls guild, Mermaid Heel, the two are ready to explore their magic, friendship and maybe even dating. Forging friendships comes easy, but romance? Ha. Forget about it. Until one day, Lucy sees her picture on the request board. The mission? A date with Lucy. The reward? True love. A/U.
1. Chapter 1 - Love and Lucy

_Thanks so much for reading! This is an A/U story with a revised M. rating (from Chapter 13 onward). [Nalu, Gajevy.]_

 _Enjoy!_ _Beta: xSteleAliniax, quite-a-riot and ShanaHollows (yes, I had immense help!)_ _ **Love you all!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Love and Lucy**

Lucy Heartfilia burst through the doors to Fairy Tail's guildhall, her disgruntled frown slipping into a wide smile when she saw all the bustling patrons inside. She could hardly believe she was finally here.

Macao and Wakaba yelled a fond hello from what she was learning was their usual table. Although there was a boisterous argument in the corner between mages she hadn't had a chance to meet yet, it was her best friend, Levy McGarden, who drew her full attention. It would have been hard to miss her, all wild blue hair and a loud voice that belied how tiny her best friend of seven years and counting really was. Levy gave a frantic wave from across the bar.

"Lucy! Come over here!" she shouted, patting the seat of a vacant chair next to her.

"That's exactly what I was doing," Lucy muttered, making her way towards the petite blue-haired girl.

"So…how did it go? Your first date?" Levy demanded as soon as Lucy slid onto the dark mahogany leather chair. Lucy tried to make shushing noises, but too late. Levy's blabbering caught the sharp ears of the resident barkeep, Mirajane Strauss, and the interest of Cana Alberona, the semi-functioning alcoholic of the group.

"Lucy! You went on a date?" Mirajane asked, her blue eyes wide with shock.

The blonde sent a scorching look at Levy, who shrugged, not the least bit contrite.

"It's not even a big deal," Lucy tried to pitch her voice low to avoid attracting even more attention.

"You've only been in Fairy Tail for what? Two weeks? I thought you would be too busy right now to think of dating," Mirajane said, not unkindly. That was the thing about Mira—from her big blue eyes, to her white flowing hair, to her model figure and soft voice—she was the epitome of beauty and grace as far as Lucy was concerned. Mira was nice to absolutely everyone.

"Well, it just sort of happened. I was working at the bookstore with Levy yesterday morning and this cute guy came in and asked me out."

"Tell us everything!" Levy demanded.

"Did he bring you flowers?" Mira asked with hearts in her eyes.

"Did he bring you chocolate?" Levy leaned in closer, wanting to hear every detail.

"Did he bring you wine?" Cana piped up, all of a sudden looking interested.

"No, no and no," Lucy shook her head to emphasize how very 'no' it all was. Cana half-turned away in her stool, seeming to lose interest in the conversation.

Lucy gave a heavy sigh and crossed her legs to get into a more comfortable position on her chair. "It was an absolute disaster. He showed up almost thirty minutes late, then he flirted with the waitress when she came to take our order _and_ I'm certain he went back after our date to ask her out."

Dan Straight had seemed like such a sweet guy, too. His red hair and striking violet-hued eyes had instantly caught her attention. When their eyes had met, Dan had strode up to her, exuding confidence, telling her how beautiful she was and how he was "enchanted by her bright smile." She had practically swooned at his flattery. She wasn't used to men, in any sense of the word.

Lucy was newly eighteen and finally independent – away from her father's house, the school and previous guild he had chosen for her, but most importantly, his rules. _Freedom._ She was giddy with it. She'd finally joined the guild that she had been dreaming of ever since she was a little girl.

Lucy didn't miss the private tutors her father, Jude Heartfilia had foisted upon her. She had been homeschooled by tutors ever since she could remember, even when her mother had been alive.

It had seemed liked a lifetime before she finally convinced her father, at the age of eleven, to let her join a real guild. Jude had selected Mermaid Heel, as it was the only all-girls guild in Fiore.

Initially, she had been frustrated at her father's lack of confidence in letting her choose a guild to learn _her_ magic. Now, she couldn't bring herself to resent his choice. She had met Levy there, as well as other girls such as Juvia Lockser, who, in spite of being a tad peculiar, was a dear friend. But she needed to be at Fairy Tail. She couldn't explain it to anyone, not even to herself, but somehow she felt fated to end up there. So as soon as she and Levy had graduated high school, they packed their belongings and moved to Magnolia.

That had been a mere thirteen days ago and although she still felt like she was fighting to keep her head above water, floundering to keep the million new names straight, striving to balance guild jobs with being a bookstore employee, she wouldn't trade it for anything. She hadn't even fully unpacked her apartment yet, but she knew she was where she belonged.

It was just a lot to take in.

In any case, a lifetime shortage of male attention had made her accept a date with the first guy who asked her out. All it had taken was a few compliments and she had been putty in his well-manicured hands.

"I really shouldn't be surprised. Dan and I hardly spoke before he was asking me out." Lucy shook her head as if to dispel the bad date from memory. "It doesn't matter. I have lots of work to do. I'm still settling into my new apartment and I have to take on more jobs if I'm going to pay my rent. The bookstore is great, but it can only supplement my income. I really have to go on more missions. I honestly don't have time for romance right now."

"Pshhh…you don't need to date," Cana agreed, suddenly back in the conversation. She chugged back the ever-present barrel of beer she had hooked between her legs. A tiny bit of beer dribbled down her chin, but she quickly swiped her mouth to stop its descent, licking her hand greedily.

"Yes, you do have a lot on your plate right now," Mira agreed sweetly.

"Maybe there's a job we can go on together?" Levy suggested.

Lucy smiled at the offer. Levy's solid-script magic complemented her celestial spirit magic nicely. Levy was always well-prepared for a mission: from mapping terrain, to knowing where the inns were, to assessing the enemy and strategizing a plan to defeat them. Levy was the absolute best person to have your back, as far as she was concerned.

"I'd love that!" Lucy pulled the bookworm into a huge hug which Levy instantly returned.

"What's going on?" A new voice came from behind her, but she knew who it was. The skin on her neck prickled, as if icy breath blew on sun-kissed skin. She released Levy and turned around slowly, a smile spreading across her face.

"Hello, Gray," Lucy said, a slight shiver shooting through her body just by looking at the man.

Gray Fullbuster was easily the most beautiful man Lucy had ever seen. Tall with broad shoulders, gorgeous sapphire blue eyes, and a toned body that made her want to kneel and give thanks to whichever god or goddess had given Gray a stripping habit. Gray claimed he was cursed, but almost every woman—and not too few of the men—at Fairy Tail thanked their lucky stars when the shirt and pants came flying off.

She and Levy had met Gray their very first day at Fairy Tail and so far, they'd seen him strip eight times. Yes, she was keeping count. She was journaling it...for posterity's sake. Someone had to. She was doing the gods' work. She only knew the Celestial King, but she felt confident that any deity would bless her keeping a standing record of Gray Fullbuster's stripping habits. Such diligence would surely earn her a place amongst the stars someday.

"Lucy went on her first date!" Mira gushed, clasping her hands together and dancing in place with excitement.

Lucy was reluctantly pulled from her Gray-induced reverie and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. _I guess they're not big on privacy at Fairy Tail._

"Oh really? First date? How'd that go?" Gray raised one eyebrow at her.

Lucy cringed self-consciously and let her gaze fall to the floor, feeling a telltale blush flare on her cheeks. "It was awful. He almost stood me up, and when he did finally get there, he seemed much more interested in the waitress than he was in me. Nothing more exciting than being a third wheel on your own date."

Her eyes darted up to meet Gray's stunning blue ones, hoping she didn't sound pathetic.

Gray's mouth twisted like he had just tasted something sour. "Pfft, guy sounds like a total asswipe. You're better off without him."

"I think so, too."

In the handful of days since she and Levy had arrived at Fairy Tail, she'd come to know Gray quite well. From his low-key voice to his calm demeanor, he seemed comfortable in every social situation. He seemed to go out of his way to make sure her and Levy were adjusting to Fairy Tail all right; always stopping to talk to them and share a story and a smile.

"Lucy and I are going on a job tomorrow, Gray. Would you like to come?" Levy asked out of the blue. Lucy shot her friend a suspicious look. _What was Levy playing at?_ The bluenette gave her a cheerful wink back.

Gray seemed oblivious to this exchange. He scratched the back of his neck, his voice sounding regretful. "I'd love to, but Erza and I are going out tomorrow."

Erza was a requip wizard that Lucy had only met a handful of times. She was beautiful and terrifying, with a no-nonsense voice and impressive array of deadly weapons at her disposal. If Gray had promised to go on a job with Erza, there was no way he was getting out of it.

Lucy suppressed a disappointed sigh. She had been hopeful that Gray might come with them.

"Why don't you and Levy go to the request board and pick a mission?" Mira suggested.

"Great idea, Mira. Can I also get a pomegranate and berry smoothie, please?" Lucy asked.

"I'd love a cup of tea," Levy requested.

"Did you want your usual, Gray?" Mira asked.

"Nah, think I'll have a cup of tea today, too," Gray answered, leaving Lucy to wonder what was his 'usual'.

"Coming right up!" Mira trilled in her mellifluous voice, with an inquisitive brow in Gray's direction, then disappeared through the swinging double doors into the kitchen.

The two girls made their way to the request board: a huge wooden board with every job that was available to wizards like them pinned to it. There was an upstairs portion of the guild that had a request board with harder jobs, meant for S-Class wizards, but they weren't at that level yet. The blonde and the bluenette hadn't had a lot of opportunities to practice their magic at Mermaid Heel on unsupervised missions. Lucy gave an inward groan. She had a long way to go before she would be considered for S-class trials.

"I'm glad that we can pick our own jobs now," Levy gave a happy sigh. At Mermaid Heel, jobs were assigned to members and you had to be 15 or older to go on a job.

Lucy looked at her right hand, loving the bird-like symbol of Fairy Tail. She much preferred it over the stylized M wrapped in a heart that Mermaid Heel used.

Her thoughts drifted to that fateful day when she first met Levy seven years ago:

 _She had just arrived at Mermaid Heel and been taken to a small room where a black-haired woman had told her she would give her the Mermaid Heel guild mark. Lucy had been scared that the mark would hurt, even after the woman reassured her it wouldn't. In her experience, grownups seldom told the truth about pain. The doctor always told her it would only pinch when she got a shot, but that wasn't true at all. She pinched herself plenty of times and it didn't cause her eyes to well up the way a needle being jabbed into her arm did._

 _The woman had explained the mark was put on by magic, that's why it wouldn't hurt. That put her a little at ease. She practiced her own magic quite a bit and the only time it hurt was when Aquarius scolded her, but that was a different type of hurt. The woman said she could pick any colour she wanted, which made Lucy happy._

 _It wasn't often she was allowed to choose things._

 _She took a long time looking at all the colours. Finally, she had selected a pretty aquamarine and asked for the guild mark to be put on her foot. It was true, there was no pain. It felt like a damp piece of cloth was being pressed to her skin. Amazed, she trilled out a happy "thank you!" and bounded out of the room, almost knocking over a tiny blue-haired girl in her haste._

" _I'm so sorry!" Lucy exclaimed. The then unfamiliar blue-haired girl had been at least four inches shorter than her and was carrying a stack of books. The top two or three seemed ready to fall over when the blunette deftly reached up with her other hand and steadied the pile._

" _Happens all the time," a soft, musical voice assured her from behind the stack, a pair of bright brown eyes peeking up at her._

" _I'm Lucy! I'm new here! See?" Lucy came around to the side of the pixie-sized girl, sticking out her left leg and bending her foot to show off her guild mark proudly._

 _Levy had taken one look at her mark and started laughing, almost dropping the books. She barely managed to place them upright on the floor. Lucy stood frozen, wondering why this strange girl was laughing at her._

" _You joined Mermaid Heel and put the guild mark on your actual heel?" Levy spluttered out._

 _Lucy had experienced a hot sizzle of embarrassment and under normal circumstances, she would have made a haughty reply befitting of a Heartfilia: this nosey little upstart girl was making fun of her! But seeing Levy bent over laughing, something had cracked inside her. She found herself giggling alongside the tiny girl, offering to help carry her books._

From then on, they'd been inseparable and Levy had been pushing her from that very first day not to make the obvious choices. She had seemed pleased when she'd picked her right hand for her Fairy Tail guild mark in a soft pink colour.

Lucy smiled fondly at the memory, rubbing the guild mark on her hand as she watched her friend scrutinize the board with intensity.

 _This girl (nosey little upstart or not),_ she thought, _has definitely been good for me._

After studying the board a bit longer, Levy came up with the perfect job for them: Finding a missing artifact.

"We can do the research together this afternoon and head out first thing in the morning, Lu-chan!"

"Sounds good to me." Lucy would've happily agreed to anything; she trusted Levy's judgement. Lucy unpinned the job and walked back to the bar, noticing her smoothie and Levy's hot tea already waiting for them.

"We'll take this one, Mira," she said, handing it over. Mira was far more than a barmaid. She was Makarov's right-hand woman and Gray had once casually mentioned that she was an S-class wizard who used take-over magic, which Lucy had never seen before, but was intensely curious about.

"Great choice, ladies," Mira chirped happily as she read the job and went to put their names in the mission book.

As Lucy, Levy and Gray sipped their drinks, Gray started telling them about a job where Erza had insisted that he freeze a robbery suspect in a block of ice with only his head not encased.

"That must've been...um...cold for him?" Lucy remarked with a smirk, cocking her head to the side in what she hoped was a coquettish manner.

"Not to worry, Erza started pulling out all these knives and swords and said she would carve him out 'like she was ice sculpting' if he didn't start talking," Gray said with a small grin back at her. Lucy felt her face get warm. Maybe she wasn't so bad at this whole flirting thing...

Levy nearly choked on her tea. Lucy reached over to pound her back a few times.

"I bet he started talking pretty fast!" Levy managed to squeak out.

Gray chuckled and started unbuttoning his shirt. "Yup, he sure did, especially when Erza said she was horrid at ice sculpting and hoped she wouldn't make too many mistakes that 'might lead to fatality'."

They all shared a good laugh at that. But the merriment caught and tangled on Lucy's lips, sputtering out into a soft gasp when Gray's shirt went fluttering to the floor. She bit her lip to keep an appreciative sigh from escaping.

 _Nine times_ she had seen those broad shoulders, muscular arms, and perfectly toned abs. She studied the dark blue guild mark on his right pectoral and resisted a strong urge to trace the outline of it with her fingertips.

"Gray, you lost your shirt," Romeo called out helpfully, not noticing Cana, Levy and Lucy all glaring daggers at him. Gray looked down at himself and muttered something under his breath that sounded like ' _son of a bitch',_ but Lucy wasn't too sure, her hearing muted while her eyes tried to memorize every glorious inch of contoured muscle before he found his shirt and once again deprived them of the heavenly body that was Gray Fullbuster shirtless.

To see those delicious muscles hidden was an affront to the gods, she was certain. In the distance, Lucy thought that she heard funeral march music playing faintly below the soft sobs of women everywhere crying out to the skies: 'why? Oh why?'

They finished their drinks quickly after that (the girls' mouths inexplicably dry), the two best friends exiting the guild and walking out into the late afternoon sunshine soon after.

* * *

The job turned out to be child's play. Levy and Lucy had worked well together at Mermaid Heel and both felt like their magic was getting better with practice.

After a couple of months, they fell into a routine. They went on jobs to pay their rent (they lived in the same apartment complex), and worked at the bookstore together (mainly for the employee discount and because Levy could read on the job when things were slow).

Levy also somehow got herself declared leader of her own team, named Team Shadow Gear, along with two guys named Jet and Droy, who fawned all over her. Levy seemed oblivious to all of this and Lucy didn't want her to feel uncomfortable with her team, so she didn't say much. It was obvious that neither boy was Levy's type and she figured with a bit of time, they'd outgrow their crush and move onto more willing girls.

Lucy was happy to finally be settled into Fairy Tail. She had friends, rent money, and most importantly, the freedom to do whatever she wanted. The only thing bothering her was her lackluster love life. Despite her protests that she was 'too busy,' Lucy kept meeting (and subsequently getting asked out by) seemingly charming, handsome men who turned out to be total asswipes.

* * *

 _One week later..._

Lucy ground her teeth in frustration and stomped angrily towards her apartment building. She crossed the street and kicked a defenseless rock out of her way. The rock flew several feet in front her and she angled her way toward it so she could abuse it again. As she moved to kick it, she caught sight of her scowling face in the reflection of a flower shop—flowers that she hadn't gotten _again_ on a date. Not that she cared, of course.

She looked totally adorable. Her shiny blonde hair was pulled back into twin pigtails, tied off with green ribbon that matched her green midriff top. She wore a brown mini skirt that showed off her legs. Her makeup was flawless—eyeshadow and mascara to accentuate her big brown eyes, pale pink lip gloss to make her lips took puffy and kissable. She glared at her reflection and tried to find fault in her outfit or face. Finding nothing, her anger only increased. What a waste of her soon-to-be legendary cuteness!

"Why do I keep dating such idiots?" she mumbled out loud, kicking the rock once more for good measure. She decided against going straight home. She needed Levy. If there was any cure for a bad date, it was venting to her best friend. The sun was setting, which meant the library was probably already closed for the day, so she headed for Fairy Tail. She marched her way up to the guild doors.

 _If one more pretty boy tries to talk to me, I'm going to kick his ass all the way to Blue Pegasus!_

"Man…" came a deep voice from behind her.

Lucy hadn't realized she'd moved until her foot connected with something very human, very shirtless, and feeling very much like it was bestowed upon womankind by the heavens in order to bring piercing light to their drab days.

"Gray!" she shrieked, watching in horror as Gray's body hit the stone guild wall with a resounding _thud!_ She tried to move to go to him when her arm was suddenly seized in a vicelike grip.

"Lucy!" Levy had materialized beside her, stricken eyes darting back and forth from Gray to Lucy, unsure who needed her help first.

"Gray! I'm...I'm so sorry!" Lucy called, trying to make her voice heard above the ruckus of the noisy guild.

Gray didn't get up off the ground, but he did half-heartedly wave her off before the other members of their guild swarmed around him, cutting off her view _._

"Lucy!" Levy shouted again, gripping Lucy's elbow tighter and pulling hard so that the blonde was hauled down to her friend's eye level.

Dazed, Lucy stared into her best friend's huge caramel eyes. "Levy, I didn't mean it! I was in a bad mood. I came from this absolutely horrid date. He made me so angry, but I didn't mean to take it out on anyone else!"

Levy's expression grew softer. "Let's go sit down, you can tell me all about this date." Levy loosened her grip on Lucy's arm, but didn't let go as she tugged the blonde toward the bar stools at the back of the guild.

Mira stood polishing glasses as she always did when a brawl broke out in Fairy Tail. Lucy had previously thought it would've been nice if Mira intervened and stopped the fights the way Erza always did, but at the moment, she appreciated the non-judgment. She reached up and wrapped her own hand around Levy's. Levy tossed back a reassuring smile over her shoulder as they made their way to their seats.

"Get her something strong but sweet, Mira," Levy said sternly.

"Aye, sir! One Purple Oasis, coming up!" The bartender gave a jaunty salute and began rummaging around for several bottles and a shaker, carefully measuring each ingredient with the precision of a chemist.

Lucy's brow furrowed. She had no idea what a Purple Oasis was, and she wasn't a big drinker, but she figured she must have looked pretty out of it if Levy thought she needed alcohol.

"Gray. I need to apologize to Gray," she said, running her hands through her hair in frustration. She started repeatedly banging her forehead against the stone countertop of the bar.

It stung and she knew she probably looked like an idiot, but she _felt_ like an idiot, so it seemed appropriate.

Levy, however, was alarmed by her best friend's self-flagellation... She hoped Lucy would stop soon.

"You will apologize to him, Lu-chan. Of course you will. But let the others take care of him right now. In the meantime, why don't you tell me what happened?" The script wizard asked, her voice full of concern.

"This date I had, it was the worst one yet," she replied glumly, her head now resting on her arms folded on the countertop. She hardly noticed when Mira discreetly placed a glass of frosted purple liquid in front of her.

"What happened?" Levy repeated as she nudged Lucy's drink a bit closer.

The blonde didn't even bother raising her head, finding it easier to talk into her encaged arms. "It started off well, he took me to this nice restaurant and pulled out my chair for me. We ordered red wine and we were getting along. He seemed so cultured and witty. Then he asked what I did for a living…"

"So? Why was that so bad?"

"Levy, have you ever been on a date?" Lucy lifted her head to look at her friend. They both knew it was a rhetorical question. Levy hadn't dated anyone _ever_ , in spite of Jet and Droy constantly hitting on her.

"Magic isn't as common as you might think. We've been surrounded by it all our lives: gone to schools that taught us how to use our magic, been around other mages, gone on missions. But _normal_ people? They lead regular lives. Most haven't met a wizard before and they certainly haven't seen magic in action," Lucy paused and took a big gulp of her purple drink for courage. It was sweet on her tongue yet caused a pleasant burning sensation down her throat as she swallowed. She braced one elbow on the counter and put her hand on her forehead as she talked.

"He…didn't believe me when I said I was a celestial mage. My magic is rare, even among wizards, but to assume I would lie about something like that?" Her face went dark. "When I said I didn't care what he believed, he tried to rip my keys off my skirt."

"He did what?" Levy hissed. "How dare he? What did you do?"

"I slapped his hand away, _hard_. Then I stood up and told him the date was over." Lucy could feel her face heating with anger and took another large swallow of her frosted drink.

"Oh wow. I don't blame you, Lu! I would've done the same thing." Levy put her hand on her friend's back, rubbing in small circles.

"But wait, there's more!" The celestial mage barked out a bitter laugh and took another fortifying swig before she added, "As I was walking out, he came running up after me. I thought it might be to apologize. Stupid me. He said that I should prove what I am by summoning one of my spirits."

She drained her drink. In one fluid motion, Mira placed a fresh one in front of her and deftly snatched up the empty glass.

Levy's expression darkened, but she knew Lucy's spirits would always protect her. "You should have summoned Leo! Leo would've _loved_ to kick that guy's ass. Or Taurus! He would've shit his pants, Lu!"

"My. Spirits. Are. Not. Parlor. Tricks!" She ground out each word, furious. How dare anyone try to grab _her_ keys and then demand she summon her friends for the sake of amusement?

The blunette looked contrite. "You're right, Lu-chan. I'm sorry."

"What is this person's name? I shall seek out vengeance from any who have harmed you," Erza declared sternly from right behind them, causing both girls to practically leap out of their stools in shock.

Levy let out a small, terrified squeak and a hand flew up to cover her heart. "Erza! When did you get here?"

"I heard the whole thing. It's not my problem if the two of you are exceptionally unobservant," The requip wizard said blandly, seeming not to notice that she had frightened both girls.

Lucy could feel her heart pounding inside her chest. She took another sip of her drink to see if it would help calm her. It seemed to, so she took an even deeper swallow. Erza was impressive, but scary as hell.

"The two of you need more exercise," Erza demanded in her bossy voice. "I have experience as a personal trainer and will see to your fitness routine myself. We shall start at dawn tomorrow."

 _We shall?_ Lucy tried to frame a polite refusal, but _nobody_ refused Erza 'The Titania' Scarlet. Sighing inwardly, she tasted her drink and decided to negotiate.

"Dawn is a little early for us," she replied as Levy nodded her head in agreement. "How about 10am?"

The redhead considered for a moment, then nodded. "Agreed. Now tell me the name of the scoundrel who disrespected you, Lucy. I shall have his head on a pike by dawn, now that I have a free morning."

Erza's calm yet deadly expression frightened Lucy so much that she started shaking. "Urr…his name? Umm…his name is…" she was drawing a blank. _What in the name of Gray's holy abs was that completely forgettable other guy's name?_

Not that she wanted Erza to kill the nameless bastard.

 _Much._

She stared down at her beverage.

 _What the heck was in this drink?_

"Boy, you have one hell of a kick!" Gray said as he sidled up to the bar. Lucy turned to him, glowing with gratitude. She'd never been happier to see someone in her entire life. Gray was rubbing his stomach absentmindedly (her newly lubricated subconscious urged her to offer her tummy rub services) but other than that, he didn't look injured.

"I'm so sorry, Gray! I had no intentions of hurting anyone. I…" she fumbled, her mind fuzzy as she trailed off.

"Nah, don't even worry about it. Erza's done way more damage when we've trained...even when we're not training, come to think about it," Gray replied, leaving the blonde to wonder if she should feel relieved or insulted by that statement.

"Indeed I have. You're none the worse for wear?" The Titania queried, scanning Gray up and down. Gray scoffed at her stare and then started unbuttoning his dark blue shirt.

"I'm good, honestly." Gray shrugged both the comment and his shirt off, but for once Lucy barely noticed.

 _Barely. And his chest is bare._

She let out a soft giggle at her own joke then bit her cheek to stifle herself, just in case Gray thought she wasn't sincere in her apology. Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde _thought_ she spotted Mira whisking Gray's shirt behind the bar, but when she blinked again, the take-over wizard was merely wiping down the counter.

"I'm sure Lucy would be more than happy to buy you a drink to make it up to you," Levy chimed in, causing Lucy to stare flabbergasted at her friend. So that's what the little minx was up to by asking Gray to go on jobs with them! She should've known her secret crush on Gray couldn't stay a secret from her best friend. Levy knew her too well.

"If our newest addition to Fairy Tail is determined to make it up to me, I could probably stomach a drink."

 _Oh, I bet you could stomach all sorts of things with that six-pack,_ Lucy bit her cheek to keep the words from coming out.

She felt suddenly tongue-tied with all that magnificent half-naked Grayness right next to her. She was definitely in a Gray area and the drinks certainly weren't helping. Or were they? She took another sip, just to be sure.

Her voice cracked in a low pant, which she immediately overcompensated for by pitching her tone far too high. "I'd love to buy you a drink, Gray!"

 _Too shrill!_

She cleared her throat, chugged a large swallow of drink, and started again. "It's the least I can do. In fact, why don't I get a round for all of us?"

There. Now she had included everyone and wasn't singling out Gray. _Hahaha, take that, Levy!_

Lucy raised her glass to cheers and then realized no one else had ordered a drink yet. She mumbled incoherently and took another sip for herself.

 _Where's Cana when you need her?_

Erza gave a short nod and took the stool beside Levy, ordering red wine. Gray ordered his usual beer. Levy decided she wanted to try Lucy's drink so she ordered a Purple Oasis.

Lucy—who could've sworn she had barely touched her drink—looked down in confusion to find her glass empty. She tried to order water but was vetoed by the group, ending up with another glass of sweet, sweet purple loveliness. After Mira served their drinks, Lucy and Levy basked for several moments in reverent silence as they let their eyes feast upon Gray, who sat—awkward and quiet—blushing and sipping his beer.

Gray had just started making alarming, nonsensical noises about finding his lost shirt when Levy spoke up, effectively derailing his efforts.

"Oh hey, did I tell you guys? Juvia's coming to Fairy Tail next month!"

Lucy smiled brightly at the news, but the requip and ice mages were confused. The redhead and the noirette exchanged looks and shrugged at each other.

"Who's Juvia?" they asked in unison.

Levy perched on the edge of her seat as if about to share a great secret. Her voice started out as a conspiratorial whisper, but got progressively louder as she continued. "Juvia is one of our best friends from Mermaid Heel. She's a water mage and very powerful, but she's also one of the sweetest girls you'll ever meet! She's kind of shy and a bit odd, but once you get to know her, I'm sure you'll love her!"

Lucy raised one eyebrow at her friend and then noticed Levy's drink was gone, which explained her sudden effusiveness. Levy was even more of a lightweight than she was.

"I look forward to meeting her," Erza said sincerely.

"Yeah, she sounds nice," Gray replied diplomatically, no doubt wondering what 'a bit odd' meant. Lucy caught his gaze and exchanged a look that wordlessly said she'd explain later. His easy smile back made her brain feel gooey...or was that the effect of the alcohol?

Levy leaned back on her stool, but seeing as it was backless, she almost fell off. Erza raised a quick hand to steady the tipsy bluenette. The small girl raised her fresh drink to Erza, with a jubilant "Cheers!" who reluctantly touched her wine glass to Levy's frosted one.

Levy made a small face at Erza's lack of enthusiasm and turned and clinked glasses with Lucy, who had somehow acquired another full drink. The blonde took a cautious sip. Levy sucked back two-thirds of hers in a single swallow maneuver worthy of Cana.

A soft grin slid up Levy's face as the alcohol made its way through her system, her eyes half-closed. If she were a cat, she'd be purring. "You know, Lu…I've been thinking. And what I think I've been thinking...is that...I think, is that you're dating the wrong type of guys."

 _Oh brother, here comes Sage Levy._

"Really? Thanks for the status report, Captain Obvious."

"No, I think you're thinking of going on dates, but _I think_ you should be dating a _different_ type of guy," Levy stressed, as if that cleared up anything. Maybe if Lucy hadn't had three... _or was it four?_ purpley drink thingies, her mind wouldn't be so mushy. She was having trouble focusing; everyone seemed a bit hazy. Levy didn't seem to be in better shape: Erza was keeping one hand on her back to make sure she didn't topple over.

"I don't understand," Lucy confessed thickly. Her words seemed to be coming out far slower than usual.

Levy daintily took another sip of her drink, rattling around the ice cubes in her glass, and pointedly looked from Lucy to Gray's exposed abs.

"You should be dating mages."

* * *

 _A/N:. I extend my heartfelt thanks to my dear friend, xSteleAliniax who not only beta-reads my stories, but cattle-prods and encourages me. Have you read her amazing story, Twist of Fate? It's a fantastic vampire A/U. So yummy._

 _quite-a-riot made this story far more interesting and way funnier. She helped make so many scenes hilarious with her personal blend of wit, zest and satire. Passive Aggressive Post Its is her story, and I implore everyone to read it. It's about Natsu and Lucy being able to transfer notes_ — _and more ;)_ — _between their skin. It's amazing and I want to gush about it all the time._

 _And because I can't stop making recommendations, please read ShanaHollows. Her stories are incredible and fun to read._

 _These authors are incredibly talented, wonderfully kind people who mentored and helped me immeasurably. Their skills are off-the-charts and they get all my thanks and love. They made me better; any flaws or faults spotted in this story are entirely my own._

 _Finally, thank_ _ **you**_ _, dear reader, for trying out a new fic. You are the brilliance of a thousand dying suns._

 _Also, I'm Canadian (that's why words like favourite are spelled with a 'u'.) The drinking age is 18 where I live. In my fic, everyone would be legal drinking age._

 _ **Please Read, Review and Follow!**_

 _Until next week's thrilling instalment,_

— _MorriganFae_


	2. Chapter 2 - Requip and Revelations

_Beta: xSteleAliniax, who has been by my side since the beginning of this story and is an amazing friend. Thanks for always supporting me! x_

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Requip & Revelations**

 _Everything not saved will be lost._

 _\- Nintendo "quit screen" message_

* * *

Lucy groaned as the gap between her bedroom window curtains caused a beam of light to hit her smack dab in the face. She muttered a curse and rolled over to go back to sleep, but her body was aching and she could feel a pounding beginning just behind her eyelids.

 _It's too early on a Saturday morning to be dealing with life._ She glanced at the clock for confirmation. It was only 9:37 am.

 _Yup, way too early._ She snuggled back under her warm duvet, trying to ignore the niggling sensation in the back of her skull. Her murky brain struggled for a moment and then she remembered.

"Oh shit, oh shit, shit shit shit!" Lucy threw back her covers and dove into the bathroom. She had agreed to meet Erza this morning at 10 am and she had exactly twenty-three minutes to get ready and figure out where she was supposed to be.

She made short work of her morning prep: teeth, hair pulled into a high ponytail. The pounding in her head intensified, and she fumbled for a bottle of headache potion: it was bitter, orange and tasted vile, but she washed it down with a glass of lukewarm tap water. _So gross._ She could taste the disgusting potion on her tongue as she stumbled back toward her bedroom.

She shucked off her sleepwear and pulled on some clothes, hopefully in the right order - but who the hell cares when you're running late for Erza 'The Titania' Scarlet? She frowned when she looked down at her chest to discover she was wearing a tatty grey shirt that had a faded Mermaid Heel emblem across the chest in hot pink. It was far too worn and baggy for the normally haute couture Lucy Heartfillia to be wearing out in public. Oh well...too late to change now.

Eleven minutes before she had to meet Erza.

After a frantic, panicked dig inside her closet, she found her sneakers in the recessed depths and, not bothering to undo the laces, shoved them on her feet. She grabbed her purse and keys and staggered out her front door. She ran down the two flights of stairs to her best friend's apartment and skidded to a halt in front of the door.

"We're dead! We're so dead!" Lucy yelled in greeting as she pounded on the door.

"I know!" Came the muffled reply before the door flew open. She was relieved that Levy was all dressed and ready to go, aside from the toothbrush dangling out of her mouth.

"Lemme gist spit." Levy raced to the bathroom and then quickly reappeared beside Lucy, grabbing her own purse and shoving the blonde toward her apartment door. "Let's go!"

Lucy checked her watch. They only had seven minutes left and she didn't think Erza cared much for tardiness.

"Where are we meeting Erza?"

"The park!" Levy shouted. Both girls raced down the apartment stairs and burst onto the street, attracting stares from passersby as they zipped past, Lucy almost running into a woman with a stroller as they rounded a corner.

"Sorry!" She ignored the dirty look. She was in for much worse if she didn't get to the requip wizard soon. "Where in the park?"

She hoped the bluenette knew where they were going.

Lucy had only been to the park a handful of times and hadn't ventured too far in, usually just stopping to sit on a bench to have a quiet lunch or to read a couple of chapters of a book. The park was vast, spanning several square miles.

"At the duck pond," Levy gasped, putting on a burst of speed that Lucy hadn't known the girl possessed. She sped up as well. They didn't waste much-needed breath on words and instead concentrated on running as fast as they could.

Five, ten, fifteen minutes ticked by as they ran. Lucy's stomach started cramping with anxiety, the pounding in her head thumping like a drumbeat.

As they neared the duck pond, Erza appeared in the rapidly shortening distance. She had her sword out and her back to them, cutting down invisible enemies. Seeing 'The Titania' with a weapon in her hands gave the girls an extra jolt of adrenaline and Lucy pulled ahead of Levy, desperate to get to the requip mage.

"Erza!" She wheezed out as soon as she was within _heavily-deprived-of-oxygen_ distance.

The requip mage swirled elegantly on her heel, blade flashing in the sunlight as she sliced it through the air and then ended in a defensive crouch, the sword horizontal and at the perfect height to slice open an enemy's throat. She fluidly sheathed it at her hip.

 _What the hell is she wearing?_

It looked like surgical gauze had been used to bind Erza's breasts together. The red flowing pants she wore with black flames at the hem seemed tame by comparison.

"What a wonderful idea to start your workout with a run. Why didn't you tell me you wanted to get a few miles in before we started our training? I would've joined you," Erza said, flipping back her long ponytail.

Lucy hadn't run full out like this in months. She bent over, clasping her thighs as she sucked in air. Levy was in a similar state, collapsing on a park bench.

"It was a last minute decision," Lucy replied, deeply regretting she didn't bring a bottle of water with her. She was parched...the alcohol in her system from last night had left her dehydrated.

"We shall add a brisk run to our morning exercises, three times a week," Erza stated firmly.

"Sounds great," Levy panted out sarcastically. Erza didn't seem to notice her tone.

"We shall?" Lucy could taste the headache medicine in her mouth again and started coughing uncontrollably. Erza dug into her backpack, pulling out two water bottles and handed one to each girl.

Lucy and Levy both lunged for the water bottles, ripping off the caps and guzzling the sweet, clear liquid.

 _Sweet elixir of life,_ Lucy chugged the water back.

"I forgot to mention that my training program would be quite rigorous. I advise you both to bring extra water each time we meet, but I will always be well stocked with supplies. A good instructor never lets those under her charge suffer from dehydration," Erza's voice was like iron. She pulled a couple more water bottles from her pack upon noticing that both girls had drained their first bottles, and then declared it was time to get down to work.

* * *

"My, do you girls work out at all? Your bodies are incredibly sluggish," Erza denounced from far above them, seemingly a giant about to crush their weak, defenseless bodies into the ground.

Erza had pushed them to the absolute physical limit. Skipping, running, jumping, crunches, lifting weights — _she had brought weights with her!_ Heavy ones.

She claimed she wanted them to eventually do mixed martial arts, but after a brief stint of 'light' sparring that almost killed them, the redhead declared with real sadness in her voice: "Your reflexes are far too slow to do an effective martial arts workout right now."

"We do yoga twice a week," Levy wanted to put a bit more oomph in her reply at Erza's insult that they were out of shape, but that was hard to do when every muscle in her body was screaming in pain and she was drenched in sweat.

Erza had the lightest sheen of sweat dotted on her brow but her clothes were dryer fresh. The world really was unjust.

Lucy tried to come to their defense, but was having trouble speaking. Her stomach had been tender this morning, but now nausea came in steady waves.

"We ran track all through high school," she said through gritted teeth as the urge to vomit right on Erza's shoes intensified. It was a petty — and no doubt suicidal thought if Erza had telepathy — but it made her feel a bit better.

"Kagura taught us self defence," Levy remarked, remembering their former Mermaid Heel guild mate. Kagura was as fierce as the redhead and probably equally as skilled with her katana as Erza was with her swords.

"Hmmm…perhaps you ran too far without me this morning and it drained you of energy. You must learn to pace yourselves better," said Erza, standing with her hands on her hips.

She wanted to retort that Erza had been one of those to veto her switching to water last night, but she held back the remark. She didn't have a death wish. She rolled onto her back, body flung out like a starfish.

Beside her, Levy was anchoring her weight on both elbows. "When my vision returns, why don't I buy you both breakfast?"

She smiled gratefully, her stomach rumbling audibly when Levy suggested a small café around the corner from their apartment building that was famous for its pancakes.

"That is a most thoughtful offer, but perhaps you both would like to go home to shower and change first?" Erza asked.

Lucy wondered if she looked as exhausted as she felt. She glanced over to assess Levy. The tiny mage was flushed and sweaty. Her blue hair, which normally had a natural curl, was stringy and sticking to her neck. She supposed she wasn't about to win a beauty contest, either. Her clothing itched with drying sweat and her vision was blurry.

"We can meet up in exactly one hour." The requip wizard offered a hand to help them up in turn.

Lucy's stomach lurched before she found her footing and she felt light-headed, but at least she was upright. Erza lived in Fairy Hills, the opposite direction that Levy and Lucy were going. Both girls leaned on each other for support and watched the redhead jog briskly away, the pace she set faster than even Lucy and Levy's frantic dash this morning.

The second Lucy was sure the beast was out of earshot, she wailed, " _Sweet Mavis!_ Parts I didn't even know I had in my body hurt! I think I hurt my spleen!"

"I _know!_ I thought Kagura's workouts were bad! Isn't that part of the reason we left Mermaid Heel? To get away from demon women who hurt us?"

"Probably. Sounds like as good of excuse as any."

"Ready to go, Lu-chan?" Levy asked, linking arms with the celestial mage.

"It hurts to move," Lucy cried, "but I _need_ a shower."

They hobbled through the park: sweaty, sore, slovenly. With great difficulty, the pair slowly dragged themselves back to their apartment building.

"I'm sore in places I didn't even know existed," Levy complained as they mounted the steps to their suites.

"Hey, that's my line," Lucy protested weakly, her legs felt like they might buckle at any moment.

"Take it, I don't need it. Here's my floor. Hope the next two flights aren't too bad for you, Lu-chan!" Levy trilled out, her apartment door in sight.

Lucy stuck out her tongue and literally huffed and puffed her way up to her own apartment, using the banister for support. She threw open the door and beelined to the bathroom, turning on the shower.

She pulled off her sticky, gross clothing and then stepped into the heavenly heat, groaning in pleasure at the way the hot water felt hitting her aching muscles. She leisurely shampooed her hair, humming tunelessly, her mind utterly blank as she simply enjoyed the heat coursing through her. When her hair was done, she washed every inch of her body with vanilla and jasmine scented soap. Twice. She was fanatical about hygiene, showering every morning and ending most nights with a hot soak in the tub.

After she towelled off, she threw on a fluffy white bathrobe and padded to her bedroom closet. She wouldn't admit it to Erza, but she loved this feeling: her muscles all sore yet oddly spongy after a vigorous workout, being all fresh from the shower and ready to start her day.

She quickly dressed in a short black skirt and a low-cut red midriff top. She sat at her desk, applying lemon meringue scented lotion to her legs as she looked over the half-written reply letter she'd started to her dad. She liked him to know she was doing well.

Jude Heartfilia was an exceptionally stoic man, but he had surprised her completely by giving her his blessings to join Fairy Tail. He even had helped furnish her apartment. She hadn't wanted to bring more than necessities though, and certainly not the priceless art and lavish rugs that her father collected.

Instead, she had turned to Erza for help. The redhead had a flair for interior design and had used her 'powers of persuasion' to get deep discounts on pictures, area rugs, throw pillows and kitchenware for her.

Levy had been so impressed by Ezra's finds, that she had solicited her help in decorating her own apartment, although in Levy's case it was more about finding bookcases to try to accommodate her voluminous book collection.

Lucy gave a fond smile as she thought of the requip wizard. It had been mere weeks since they'd become friends, but she couldn't imagine life without her.

She glanced at the clock and figured she'd better finish writing to her dad later. She dried her hair, pulling it into a side ponytail with a red ribbon to match her shirt.

Feeling a bit smug about how nicely the outfit she'd chosen accentuated her curves, she made her way to Levy's apartment. Out of habit, she tried the door, knowing it would be unlocked.

"One of these days it'll be a burglar or a rapist, Levy-chan!" Lucy shouted by way of greeting.

Levy poked her head out of her bedroom, her hair still damp, but pulled back by a yellow headband. She was in a short orange dress that complemented her blue hair and pale skin in a striking way.

"You always say that. It hasn't happened yet." Levy smirked.

"Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't."

Levy shrugged, "I'd like to see someone try. Between my magic, the self defense I know and the bloodcurdling scream that I _know_ would send you running to check on me, no one is going to make off with my books _or_ my virginity without my say so."

Lucy privately agreed with Levy's estimation of herself. The endless towers of books created a winding obstacle course through Levy's apartment (Erza could only do so much). Only a very small person could navigate the twisting paths without knocking a whole bunch of books over. Lucy knew. Her boobs and hips had created just such a domino effect more than once.

"Just promise me that you'll lock it at night, okay? It's all I ask."

"Lu-chan, of course I lock my door at night," Levy waved a distracted hand, moving a few books out of the way so she could sit on her loveseat and put on her orange ballet flats.

She gave a snort of disbelief. "Really? Because I remember one time I came in at 2 am and it wasn't locked."

Her best friend blushed, voice coming out small. "But I was reading."

She stood and Lucy followed as she pulled open her apartment door.

"Oh reading! Well, why didn't you say so? It's not like you do that too often," she teased as they exited the apartment.

Levy made a big show of digging out her keys and carefully locking her door. Lucy rolled her eyes at her. They walked out of their apartment building and Lucy smiled, stretching her arms and basking in the sunlight that warmed her tired muscles, her headache fully gone.

As they walked, she remembered something Levy had said.

"Lev...why did you say I should be dating mages last night?"

Levy's face turned scarlet, but despite her small stature, Levy McGarden was never one to back away from a challenge.

"I've seen the way you look at Gray. It's obvious that you like him." She stuck her chin out defensively. "I was tipsy but I really do think you'd make a cute couple."

Lucy sighed, reaching up to twist the end of her ponytail between two fingers. "I think he's gorgeous, but so do you. I've seen you ogling those washboard abs. Why don't you date him?"

"I admire him physically but I'm not attracted to him." Levy replied succinctly.

Lucy burst out laughing at her friend's words and serious expression.

"I admire him physically? Oh, Lev, that's gold!" Tears formed and she had to stop walking to clench her stomach. Levy was laughing beside her.

"I'm not attracted to you, but I admire your physicality," she mimicked Levy's grave tone before dissolving into giggles again.

Levy pushed imaginary glasses up her nose and gave Lucy a stern once-over, "You're a fine specimen of human development but we can never be as one, Gray Fullbuster."

They both snort-laughed, then pointed at each other for the unladylike snorts. Lucy made a fish-face at Levy. The bluenette stuck out her tongue then opened her mouth wide, in a parody of a very sloppy, very open-mouthed and totally disgusting air kiss. They shared another laugh before they caught the wafting odor of pancakes.

Lucy had thought she was famished before, but now her stomach was positively aching. "So hungry!"

Levy nodded in agreement, walking a bit faster until they reached the café. Lucy pulled open the door and was surprised to find they had beaten the requip wizard there. A waitress came and they were directed to a patio table outside under the shade of a green umbrella. They ordered three waters while they waited for the redhead, browsing the menu.

Lucy caught a flash of light near the patio door entrance and was almost blinded by the sunlight reflecting off of the redhead's armour. She raised one hand to shield her eyes as the requip wizard approached, wearing what she had come to think of as Erza's daily armour: silver chest plate, gauntlets, a navy blue pleated skirt and knee-high black boots. Erza's hair was left down, a thick red waterfall flowing to her waist. Her flawless skin didn't have a hint of makeup. Lucy repressed a twinge of jealousy at how gorgeous the requip mage looked.

"Levy, Lucy, I'm pleased you are both more punctual to our brunch date this morning." Erza slid into the chair beside Levy.

"I'm glad you could make it, Erza," Lucy said, a tad stiffly. Erza had such a strict way of speaking that she found it difficult to talk casually with her. She tended to mimic the more rigid speech patterns that Erza used unless she consciously made the effort not to.

"Of course. I always enjoy spending time with my brethren," Erza replied as she perched a pair of reading glasses on her nose and then opened up her menu, perusing the options.

Levy closed her own menu and glanced over at Erza. "They serve breakfast all day, if that's what you're thinking of having. The sandwiches are pretty tasty, too."

Erza's eyes seemed to alight on something on the menu. "They have strawberry crepes. That will suffice."

Lucy took a bit longer with her menu. She really wanted pancakes but she knew a fruit and yogurt combo would be healthier for her. She bit her lip, debating when the waitress appeared before them. Levy ordered blueberry pancakes and Erza ordered her crepes.

 _Oh, what the hell, you only live once and you had a great workout._

"I'll have the giant apple pancake and an orange juice," she said, handing the menu to their waitress.

"Sounds good, I'll be right back with your drinks, ladies." The waitress smiled and then disappeared back inside the cafe.

The women started discussing books, with Lucy quickly losing interest. Erza wanted to know about ancient weaponry from Levy.

Lucy started to tune them out as they both talked animatedly about different cultures and different weapons used. The waitress placed Lucy's juice in front of her, then a small pot of tea was put in front of Levy. She refilled Erza's water glass before disappearing again.

Lucy took small sips of her juice as the other two women debated about which cultures had the best swords and armour while Levy kept steering the conversation toward defensive strategy and wars. Erza seemed to have a keen military mind—to Lucy's half-paying-attention grasp of the _super boring_ conversation—and Levy was clearly in her element, doling out her vast academic knowledge.

 _At least they're happy._ She started daydreaming about Gray and his perfect torso. She wished she could map each dip of hardened muscle on his shoulders, biceps, pecs and especially the _oh-so-worth-exploration_ abdominal muscles.

Such extensive cartography work would probably take a long time, but she was willing to log in the hours.

The food arrived mid-fantasy, hitting her with the intoxicating scent of cinnamon and apples. She dug in. "This is so good," she moaned around her first bite of pancake.

Erza and Levy seemed equally smitten with their breakfast choices. Levy sighed happily as she ate her blueberry pancakes. Erza was incredibly focused on her crepes, cutting out each small bite with surgical precision.

The girls took several exuberant bites to satisfy their initial hunger before Erza broke the silence, "So, what were you two discussing before I got here?"

Levy took a slow sip of her tea and then dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

"Lucy thinks Gray is hot."

Lucy's mouth opened in horror at her so-called best friend, but no words came out. She couldn't believe Levy would be telling Erza this! Mermaid Heel's dearth of male members had obviously hindered some latent matchmaking abilities that Levy had been harbouring.

Erza shrugged as she cut another 1"x1" square of crepe. "Gray is a very handsome man. He's a capable wizard and a loyal friend. If you decide to engage in a relationship with him, I wish you happiness."

"I didn't even say I liked him," she grumbled, spearing another piece of pancake with a bit more force than necessary before popping it into her mouth.

"Don't you?" Erza and Levy asked simultaneously, eyes wide in disbelief.

 _Geez, I must be an open book._ She vowed then and there to try to hide her emotions better. She chewed on her pancake and thought carefully before answering.

"Yes, I find him attractive," she fessed up to the unexpected Spanish Inquisition. Maybe if she told the truth, they'd go easy on her.

"But I've lived a sheltered life…we both have," she pointed her fork to include Levy. "I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is just a crush or something more."

"What does it matter if it's just a crush or something deeper? The only way you can find out is if you spend more time with the man," Levy coaxed gently.

"You're right. I know you're right. I'm just afraid," she confessed, taking another bite of her almost-finished breakfast. Levy and Erza let the words sink in, each with their own different thoughts on the matter.

Levy couldn't see what she was so anxious about. Lucy was gorgeous. Everywhere they went, guys were rubbernecking to get another look at the blonde mage. "Look at you, Lu-chan. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

Lucy heard the sincerity in Levy's voice and gave a wan smile. "It's not about looks, Lev. He's a member of our guild. I don't want to get emotionally attached to a friend and then suddenly not be his friend. That would just be awkward for all of us."

Erza hadn't been invested in the conversation when there were strawberry crepes requiring her attention, but as Lucy's word sunk in, she found herself nodding in agreement. She had wanted to tell her new friends something for a while and now seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"Lucy is right," Erza said, measuring out her words carefully. "I...didn't lead the type of life that the two of you did growing up. A lot of stuff happened to me when I was very young. I relied heavily on another person. The wrong person, as it turned out. It…warped everything around me. I had to leave a group of friends that I had considered my family because being around them was a constant reminder of _him_."

Lucy exchanged a shocked glance with Levy. They had never seen Erza look vulnerable before.

The redhead squared her shoulders and fixed Lucy with a stare that sent a shiver down the younger girl's spine.

"You've dated a few boys, but Gray is not someone I would permit being toyed with emotionally. It's best if you take some time to truly evaluate your feelings before embarking on a relationship with him. I take my friendships very seriously and both you and Gray are my friends. I would not wish to see either one of you hurt." Erza's eyes were boring into Lucy's so intently that Lucy fake-coughed just to break eye contact.

Lucy wasn't comfortable talking about any of this, but decided to address the elephant in the room.

"You guys are talking about this decision as if it's only mine to make. I have no idea if Gray has any feelings about me other than casual friendship."

 _And maybe some light flirting,_ she thought to herself before continuing.

"All that I really know about him is that he uses ice make magic and that he's super cute! I don't want to start weighing relationship pros and cons right now. Hell, I've never even been alone with him in the same room!" She shoved her plate away, irritated and suddenly full.

Levy seemed to sense that a change of topic was in order. She twisted her hands together in her lap, unsure on how to proceed delicately, but very much wanting to hear more about the requip mage's former life.

"Erza...what happened to you?" Levy asked in a hushed whisper.

Erza took her napkin off her lap and folded it neatly before laying it on her plate. She took a long sip of water and seemed to be contemplating her next words. As if all sensed a pivotal moment, a silence blanketed the table. Lucy and Levy stared at the redhead in anticipation. It took several moments before Erza finally spoke, her voice soft and hesitant.

"I don't remember exactly how I got there. Most of the children were captured from other villages, but we heard rumours that some were sold by their own parents. I think...at least I hope, I was stolen away from people who once loved me, but I don't really know." Erza voice was hollow, as if she was talking about something tragic that had happened to someone else.

"I was very young, maybe four at the time. There were a lot of children there. We were put in this prison. The adults who kidnapped us came. They...tortured us, forced us to work at building this _thing,_ this _tower._ Jellal was only a bit older than I was, but he protected me." Erza paused, trying to stick to the facts.

She sighed heavily, shaking her head, "No, that's not right; it wasn't just me. He protected _everyone._ I think I must have come from far away. I knew only my first name and I didn't speak the language the other children did. I can still remember not understanding what was being told to me."

She swallowed hard before continuing, "They used to...hurt me for that. Jellal - he taught me - first by speaking and then by writing. I can still remember, even now, how clumsy the words felt in my mouth, trying to twist my tongue around what Jellal was trying to teach me. I had to learn fast to avoid being punished..." Erza's voice petered out.

"You were just a child." Lucy couldn't comprehend something so terrible happening. She knew slavery existed, but to round up children? She wanted to put her head in her hands and cry. At the same time, she felt a white-hot rage; she wanted to use her magic to find these slavers and imprison every last one of them. And if her spirits got a bit overzealous or Lucy doled out a few scars with her whip, so be it.

Erza breathed out a soft sigh, looking at each girl carefully. "It was a long time ago. I will never forgive or forget, but I _have_ moved on. Fairy Tail is my family now. Being part of the guild has given me unexpected strength. I consider my guild mates as more than friends; everyone who is a part of Fairy Tail is a part of me. We are a team, every last one of us with strengths and weaknesses."

She paused and took a long swallow of water.

"The bonds I shared with my previous family were forged in pain, loneliness, and a common goal to defeat those who harmed us. That type of bond is strong," she admitted, "Unbelievably strong...but tinged with sadness, too. Fairy Tail was a fresh start. Clean. The bonds of friendship I have formed are from mutual respect. When I fight, it is with the strength I have gained from my brothers and sisters here." Erza paused and then mused in a low whisper, so low the blonde was sure she wasn't meant to hear it. "Huh, maybe Jellal did me a favour by letting me discover my own path apart from his."

Levy and Lucy exchanged incredulous looks, not knowing what to think of the requip wizard's former relationship with this Jellal.

"Tell us about him," Levy implored and then clamped her hand over her mouth as if she couldn't believe she'd just asked that. Lucy winced in sympathy, but Erza took no offense.

"Jellal was brave. He was the bravest person I have ever known. He had blue hair like you, Levy — a shade darker. And he had this red birthmark that went from here, _"_ Erza pointed to her face, almost at her hairline above her right eye, "to here _,"_ she touched her face at level with her lips and smiled as if remembering something breathtakingly beautiful.

"He used to take my hand and urge me to be strong, to never give up. He believed in me. I was lucky in that sense. Some of the children, they were catatonic or would just cry all the time."

Erza didn't like to remember those kids, the worst-case ones. A few had been unreachable, even with Jellal, her and the other children trying to help. Some of the catatonic wouldn't eat. Some of the crying children would wail endlessly, even with no obvious injury. Jellal would try to help them: 'Please stop screaming and show me where it hurts,' he'd pled. But some people can't show you where it hurts. They can't stop screaming. Erza still heard them.

She shook her head from the dark, cobwebbed corners of her mind and refocused on Levy and Lucy. She couldn't save the ghosts of the past and she didn't want them haunting her friends as they did her, so she tried to find a better memory. There weren't a lot of happy memories in her childhood, but she found one.

Her expression brightened as she said, "One day the other kids were making fun of me for not having a last name and Jellal came to my rescue. He told me I should pick the name Scarlet because of how beautiful my hair was."

She subconsciously ran a hand through her thick mane, twisting a strand tightly around her index finger; the sunlight caught hints of burnished gold in her auburn hair. "I took the name, I couldn't bear to change it. We were slaves in that place…we didn't have _anything_. The way he said my name was like a gift."

There was a softness and vulnerability in her voice when she spoke of Jellal. A slight smile, too, whether she was aware of it or not.

"The day I took the name, I decided I _was_ strong enough, if I had people who believed in me. I could keep fighting, no matter the odds, because true strength is in the heart." Erza's eyes glowed with determination.

 _She really is amazing._ Lucy stared in awe at the older mage.

"Can I get you anything else?" The waitress appeared, check in hand, breaking the spell they had been under.

All three girls leaned back, unaware that they'd been leaning across the table toward each other to form a tight circle. Lucy shook her head and told the waitress they were fine while Levy pulled out the jewels needed to pay the bill.

Erza seemed to be regaining her composure; she let out a small puff of air from between her cheeks, reaching down to grab her own blue purse from underneath the table.

Lucy could tell the urge to flee was setting in, but the writer in her couldn't just let the story end here. She needed to know.

"What happened to Jellal?"

"He died," Erza said, her voice coming out hard and clipped. "Or at least, up until about a year ago I thought he was dead. Last I heard, he was working with some rogue mages who call themselves Crime Sorcière," she paused for a moment, "They fight against dark guilds."

Lucy absorbed that and offered, "It sounds like he's still brave, Erza."

Erza stood up from the table, brushing nonexistent crumbs off her skirt. "Yes, I'm sure he is. In some ways, he hasn't changed."

She didn't elaborate on the ways he had.

"I must be going now. Thank you for the lovely brunch. The food more than met my expectations. It will be my treat next time. I'm sure we will see each other soon," Erza's voice was tight and her eyes were shifting elsewhere, no longer focusing on her two friends.

Lucy couldn't help it, she needed to do more than just say goodbye. She stood up and reached over to give Erza a comforting hug. Suddenly, she found her face mashed into Erza's armoured breasts. She let out a strangled yelp, which was muffled by Erza forcibly pushing her head even further into her chest.

"You're a good friend, Lucy. You as well, Levy. I am grateful to have you both at Fairy Tail."

Erza released Lucy's head and pulled a surprised Levy into an equally bosomy hug. Levy's arms flailed momentarily before she was able to hug Erza back. After the brief hug, she released a squashed Levy and departed, leaving the astonished pair rubbing their cheeks where the metal of the breastplate had been.

Lucy felt a soft touch on her hand. "We should go, Lu-chan."

"Okay."

Lucy was already lost in thought. She wanted to write in her journal, to get Erza's story down while it was still fresh in her mind. A story such as this should not be forgotten. It would be a tribute...to all the lost children who endured the same torture her friend had.

The short walk home was a blur, spent in silence, only broken when she bid Levy goodbye.

When she got to her own apartment, she sat down at her desk and pulled out some fresh sheets of paper. She spent the next three hours simply writing. First in her journal to document the story Erza had told them, then finishing the letter to her father, and finally pulling out a story she'd been struggling with. She wanted it to be an adventure story, but was feeling all out of adventure. Hearing about Erza's childhood made her want to cry. She couldn't think of anything happy or peppy to say right then so the shoved the story aside for another day.

She sighed to herself. Erza's story was wrought with different emotions. It was obvious she was still torn up about how she felt about her former childhood friend. She loved him, but there was something underneath…some uncertainty and hesitation. Something must have happened to break the trust between them; Erza had implied as much, but she hadn't divulged the whole story.

Erza hadn't mentioned what happened to Jellal in recent years...only that he'd died and was no longer in her life…except he _wasn't_ dead. Erza had stated that she'd recently learned that he was still alive. Did that mean that there was a still a chance for Erza and her lost love? The writer and diehard romantic in Lucy wanted to know.

She stood up, stretching her back. Her butt numb from sitting too long and there was a kink in her neck. She pressed her fingers between her shoulder blade and spine to try to ease the muscle, startled by a knock at her door.

She looked through the peephole, pulling the door wide open as she smirked. "Long time, no see."

Levy grinned up at her and Lucy stood aside to let the bluenette pass. Levy kicked off her shoes and curled into her couch.

"Lu-chan, I _love_ this couch."

"You say that every time you come over," Lucy reminded her as she closed her apartment door. Her gifted-from-dad couch _was_ pretty spectacular; a rich cream colour that you almost wanted to lick, with thick, extra-wide cushions that made it incredibly comfortable to nap on. Erza had picked square decorative pillows in ruby red and silvery gray that added a much-needed splash of colour.

Levy tilted her head towards the ceiling and said what was on both their minds. "I wish we could help Erza."

Lucy took the seat at the other end of the couch, pulling the decorative pillow onto her lap and twisted a corner of it absentmindedly.

"I know, me too."

"What can we do, Lu-chan?"

"I don't know. Just be her friend and listen, I guess." Lucy wasn't satisfied with that answer, but it was all she had. What did she and Levy know about love? Unrequited or otherwise? All they about knew about relationships came from books. They sat deep in thought for several minutes.

"Hey, want to go to the guild?" she asked.

"Um...sure, I guess we could. Why?" Levy didn't sound enthusiastic.

She pushed herself to her feet and stood with her hands on her hips. "Because I've been sitting here for three hours in silence, writing and feeling sad."

Levy opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but Lucy held up one hand like a traffic cop to halt her.

"I'm sad that Erza had this unimaginable childhood. I wrote about it in my journal and I've been racking my brains to try to figure out some way to make it even a little bit better, to show my compassion and empathy, and you know what I've come up with?"

Levy gave a slow headshake.

"Absolutely nothing!" She paced about the room. "I don't know. Maybe it's a stupid idea, but all I know is that I'm not finding answers here."

Levy nodded and then fixed a smile on her face, standing up. "You're right, Lu. What could a change of scenery hurt, anyway?"

Lucy pulled on the same black boots she'd worn earlier in the day and in short order, they were at a private table away from everyone else at Fairy Tail.

When they had a bowl of soup each in front of them, Lucy admitted, "I'm glad Erza isn't here tonight."

"I know what you mean," Levy agreed.

The guild was exceptionally quiet. Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen were at a table nearby. Reedus was painting a picture of Cana and her father, Gildarts Clive. Cana seemed to be drinking even more than usual and had an exasperated expression on her face. Gildarts seemed to be trying to talk to her and she looked like she was doing her best to ignore him. Lucy had heard they had an unstable, on-again-off-again relationship. She was guessing now was one of the off times.

Macao, Romeo and Wakaba were all sharing some food. Macao would periodically reach out to ruffle his son's hair. Elfman and Lisanna Strauss were at the bar chatting with their sister, Mira. Max and Warren were sitting together, drinking beer.

A few other wizards whose names they hadn't learned, but recognized enough to say hello to, were grouped at a smattering of tables around them. No one that the girls knew very well—aside from the busy Mira and Cana—were there. No Erza. No Gray. No Jet and Droy.

Suddenly, the guild doors burst open and a huge "Huzzah!" went up as Gray walked through the door. Lucy twisted around in her seat, trying to get a better look at what all the fuss was about (translation: hoping to see Gray shirtless), when right behind the ice make wizard came two huge men.

They were about equal height, one blonde with short, spiky hair wearing a purple shirt and a gigantic fur-trimmed black coat that he wore like a cape draped across his shoulders. He had a weird lightning bolt scar over his right eye.

The man standing beside him had long, unruly black hair that was spiked in every direction but was pushed back with a green bandana to keep it off his face. He wore a black shirt that had seen better days — it was all torn at the bottom and frayed at the shoulders. But the thing that caught Lucy's attention was that his face was _covered_ in piercings. He had metal studs where his eyebrows should be and more studs in his ears, his nose and on his chin. Both men had muscles on top of muscles. They were insanely fit.

Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen accosted the big blonde one. He wore a scowl on his face at the attention, but joined their table. Mira went over with a mug of beer for the blonde giant.

The black-haired behemoth seemed to melt into the shadows. Lucy wasn't sure where he'd gone. Gray was still standing at the guildhall doors, looking out behind him.

"Hey! You coming, pyro?" he called out.

Suddenly two flying cats came in, one blue and one white. The blue one was carrying a fish and trying to give it to the white cat. Levy and Lucy exchanged astonished looks when they heard both cats _talking._

"I want you to have it, Charle," the blue one insisted. Lucy wasn't sure, but she thought the blue cat was male.

"I don't need anything from you, tomcat," the white cat said in a prissy voice.

Lucy refocused her attention to the new people entering the guildhall. A small girl with long blue hair in pigtails who looked about thirteen, wearing a green dress, hurried to catch up to the white cat. Behind her, a man unlike any Lucy had seen stood - a wide, toothy grin lit up his face and his hair was...pink.

Lucy rubbed her eyes just in case the dim guild lighting was deceiving her eyesight. Nope, it was definitely pink. He was wearing a black waistcoat with gold trim and no shirt underneath, exposing his bare chest. A white, scaly scarf was wrapped around his neck, and he wore white, knee-length pants tied off at the bottom with black trim. Several guild members shouted greetings at them.

Gray stood off to the side, creating in his hands his ice make sword.

"Hey everyone, the dragon slayers are back!" Gray shouted over the din.

Then he promptly bashed the pink-haired boy over the head with his sword.

Suddenly, fists and tables were flying. Lucy and Levy stared at each other in bewilderment as a brawl broke out all around them.

"Who the hell are _they?"_ Lucy asked.

* * *

 ** _Shout out to ShanaHollows who ninja-edited this chapter and smoothed out some bumps while adding her pixie dust of awesomeness._**

* * *

A/N - " _Unexpected Spanish Inquisition" is a riff on Monty Python's Flying Circus. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. Nobody._

 _Sorry to drop the angst-bomb so soon in the story! I promise next chapter we will be back to our humour and regularly scheduled ogling. This chapter was necessary to drive the plot forward. All will be revealed in time (nervously waves magician hands)._

 _You want to know the cure for writer's procrastination? Promise a weekly updating schedule. It's the kick in the ass that keeps on kicking. I do feel there's some unevenness in this chapter that I would like to smooth out one day._

 _For clarification - this is a Nalu story. I have been working on this story for six months and while I love and appreciate all feedback, but I know where I want this story to go and I need to stay true to that._

 ** _Fun Fact!_** _Giant apple pancakes are my favourite breakfast ever._

 _ **Thank you to those who follow, favourite and review! You guys make me so happy! You read this far? I love you. Truly, madly, deeply love you. Yes, you.**_

 _ **Shout out to the awesome reviewers! MasterGildarts, Professor of Gallifrey, ShanaHollows and xSteleAliniax!**_


	3. Chapter 3 - Meeting

_**Disclaimer: I completely forgot to mention at the beginning of this story that I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. Hiro Mashima does and he gets full credit for inspiring me and making me love his creations so much!**_

 _ **I only own the plot and words to this story. It's my baby. My colicky, cranky, 'keeps me up at night' baby.**_

 _ **And now a brief word from our sponsors...**_

 _ **Just kidding. I have no sponsors. And if I did have a sponsor, it would be more along the lines of an AA sponsor and not a benevolent millionaire who just wants to support my writing dreams. (Still totally joking. I normally would assume you know this, but we're just starting Chapter 3, so we're still in the "getting to know each other phase." You look awesome today, btw.)**_

 _ **Speaking of dreams, I'm starting this chapter with a quote from one of my favourite authors...**_

" _Tales and_ _dreams are the shadow_ _-_ _truths that will_ _endure when_ _mere facts_ _are dust and ashes, and_ _forgot_ _." ―_ _Neil Gaiman_

 _ **Happy reading, friends!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Meeting**

"Who the hell are _they?_ " Lucy asked.

"I have no idea!" Levy shouted to make herself heard.

Suddenly, a big wet fish landed in Lucy's half-finished soup.

"Eww…" she breathed out, repulsed. One dead, unseeing fish eye stared up at her. She looked around trying to find the culprit when the small blue cat flew to their table, eyes filling with tears when he saw the soggy fish laying half in, half out of her soup bowl.

"My gift to Charle...my fish...you ruined it."

"I didn't ruin anything, cat!" Lucy shrieked.

"So mean," the blue cat had tears flowing down his face and Lucy instantly relented. The initial outrage she felt dissipating like a snuffed out candle flame. Lucy had a soft spot for all animals and the sight of one crying broke her heart. Even though the cat had spoiled her supper and called her mean, she didn't want to see him cry.

"Calm down. What's your name?" Lucy asked gently, trying to placate the creature.

The cat eyed her wearily as tears spilled down his face and hiccuped, "Ha..Hap...Happy."

"Of course it is. I should've guessed that," she muttered under her breath. _Who doesn't name their crying cat Happy?_

The blue cat didn't seem to hear her, but there was a lot of noise around them. The new-to-Lucy-and-Levy men were still fighting. The only one not participating was the young blue-haired girl in the green dress; she had taken a seat beside Romeo and was chatting with him, Macao and Wakaba – obviously the only sane one of the group, in Lucy's opinion.

Freed was fighting against both Max and Warren, Evergreen was fighting with Elfman, and even Lisanna threw herself onto Bickslow's back, choking him from behind.

Chaos all around them, but Lucy was slowly getting used to it. She was learning that this was typical behaviour at Fairy Tail.

"Happy, it's nice to meet you. I'm Lucy – this is Levy," She nodded to Levy, who gave the cat a huge smile.

"You can talk and fly? You must be the cutest cat I've ever seen!" Levy cooed at the creature. Happy's tears dried instantly. He cautiously moved closer to Levy. The solid script wizard reached out to stroke the cat's ears. Happy scotched closer on the table, purring with his eyes closed. Levy giggled, scratching Happy's head as he moved it so she'd get the right spot. The cat flipped over to expose his white belly — clearly wanting more petting.

Levy obliged, exclaiming, "You have blue fur and I have blue hair! What a handsome fellow you are!" She nuzzled the cat's cheek affectionately.

"I like _her,"_ Happy said pointedly as he opened one eye to glare at Lucy.

"For the last time, I didn't throw your fish into my own soup, cat," Lucy snapped. Where was that other cat — the prim, persnickety one? Maybe she could cuddle with that one. True, the white cat didn't seem like much of a hugger, but Lucy was willing to try.

A tangle of limbs collided with the side of their table. Lucy jumped backward out of her seat to make way for Gray and the pink-haired boy exchanging blows. The pink-haired one didn't register the girls, but saw the cat.

"Happy! Come help me, little buddy!" he shouted as he punched Gray in the face.

"Aye, sir!" Happy instantly left Levy's arms and spread his wings, flying over their heads.

Levy pouted at losing him.

Happy lifted the pink-haired man high just as Gray was about to kick him in the stomach. Both the cat and the pinkette razzed Gray below them.

Gray punched his palm to his fist and called out, "ice make - saucer!" launching a huge spinning disc of ice at the pair. It hit the white-scarfed man directly in the chest. The force of impact caused Happy to drop the man, who fell to the floor, landing on his feet in a crouch. The pinkette grinned like a maniac and tackled Gray, both of them rolling around on the floor, shouting incoherent insults at each other.

The blonde giant had been exchanging blows with the pierced, black-haired one, but both spotted the smaller boys wrestling on the floor and seemed to form a truce, each reaching out to grab a head of hair. The blonde held up a squirming Gray, the raven-haired man seized the pinkette.

"I will not have you destroying my guild again, brats!" Makarov's voice resonated through the guildhall.

Lucy squeaked. It was terrifying to hear their normally gentle guild master yell with such force and rage in his voice. Makarov stood on the bar's countertop, hands on his hips, a scowl on his face.

Everyone froze, all fighting ceased immediately.

The two hulking men unceremoniously dropped the smaller men to the floor. Somehow they angled their throws so both Gray and the pinkette landed on their heads, the force of impact sending an earth-shaking _crack_ that reverberated up her designer boot encased feet. Lucy was sure they were knocked out.

It alarmed her to see that nobody else was even slightly concerned about their fellow guildmates being injured. She wanted to get a healer, but she had no idea who that would be.

 _I should figure that out. There's too many fights here._ She vowed to ask Mira.

"Good to see you, Gramps," the blonde one said cheerfully, as if he hadn't just beaten a fellow wizard to a pulp. He stepped over Gray like he was a puddle in the middle of the street and he didn't want to get his shoes wet.

Makarov's eyes narrowed and for an instant. Lucy thought their guild master was going to pummel each of the newcomers into the ground, but the moment passed when the guild master heaved a resigned sigh.

"Laxus, come. We can exchange pleasantries in my office. We have a lot of business to discuss," said Makarov. He cast a death stare, reaching the eyes of every Fairy Tail member in the room, save the two comatose ones laying on the stone floor.

Laxus, as the the chosen one, had a victorious smirk on his face as he passed by everyone else, giving a small, Kingly wave before he headed towards the back of the guild hall.

 _Wow, that guy's arrogant,_ Lucy thought.

Makarov frowned and followed the tall blonde, the retreating figures soon disappearing from view.

Suddenly, the rose-haired man was right in front of her — he recovered far faster than she would've thought possible. Gray was right behind him, rubbing the back of his head but grinning like an idiot. Her eyes narrowed. She wondered if they had pretended to be injured to avoid Makarov's wrath.

The pinkette gave her an intense stare, shoving his face a mere three inches away from hers. Lucy found herself looking into emerald eyes that were way too close for comfort.

"What are you doing?" she yelped, taking a quick step back. She could see him better when his face wasn't practically pressed against hers.

He wasn't as short as she had initially thought. The bigger guys just had a lot of height compared to anyone else. Lucy could instantly tell that appearances didn't mean a lot to the man in front of her. His pink hair was all spiky in a haphazard way, his skin was tanned like he spent a great deal of time outside, and his clothes were obviously chosen for comfort over fashion. His open black overcoat with gold trim left his arms and upper body bare.

 _Why is his chest exposed? Does he strip like Gray and then can't find his shirt?_

 _If so, I can get used to Fairy Tail,_ she thought as she took a better look.

Lucy glanced down at the pinkette's chest. It was every bit as impressive as Gray's – his six-pack so sharply defined you could run a finger along the grooves. He had broad shoulders and a red Fairy Tail guild mark on his powerful right bicep. He was lean but very muscular.

 _Whipcord muscles._ There were some definite perks to no longer being at an all-girls guild.

Lucy blinked, she could feel a blush spreading across her face. She looked away, not wanting to get caught ogling the new guy. She breathed deeply through her nose, willing the blush to go away. After a moment, she reluctantly looked up, meeting the intense green eyes of the dragon slayer. He smiled down at her, showing very white teeth with large incisors. He had a nice smile.

"Hey, I'm Natsu! You must be new to Fairy Tail. Happy said you were nice!"

"Not that one! She's mean! The other one!" Happy cried out, frantically flying towards them. He landed on the wooden table next to Lucy's ruined miso-and-dead-fish soup. He pointed his paw at Levy, who reached out her arms excitedly to embrace Happy and plant a kiss on his chubby cheek.

"Traitor!" Lucy hissed at Levy, who gave a careless shrug and pulled the cat onto her lap, stroking his back. Happy was wearing a small green knapsack, which the blonde had to admit was one of the most adorable things she'd ever seen. He curled up against Levy with a contented mewl.

Natsu scratched the back of his neck, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He looked down at the small blonde girl in front of him, who gazed up at him nervously.

Remembering her manners, Lucy stuck out her hand. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia, and this is my best friend, Levy McGarden."

Natsu took her small hand into his much larger, warm one. She felt heat radiating off of Natsu's body. For some reason, that gave her goosebumps.

"Pleased to meetcha. Natsu Dragneel, if we're doing last names. I'm sure frosted nuts told you all about us," he said, thumbing his hand towards Gray, who had taken a seat next to Levy.

"Um...no. He didn't say your name at all," Lucy admitted.

Natsu's head whipped around, eyes narrowed at the ice make mage. "I'm gone for five months and you don't even mention me, snowflake?"

Gray smirked, folding his hands behind his head like he was sunbathing. Lucy had the distinct impression he was taunting Natsu.

"Why would I mention a fire freak like you?"

"Oi! I'm a dragon slayer!" Natsu said defensively, a ball of flame erupted around his clenched fist.

"You slay dragons?" She interrupted. Outside of pictures in books, she had never seen a dragon before.

Natsu stared down at the blonde, his expression baffled, the fireball in his hand dying out. "What? No. Course not. Why would I do that?"

"Because you just said you're a dragon slay...nevermind." Lucy sighed, giving up.

 _This guy is dense!_

Natsu looked Lucy up and down, but she didn't get creeped out the way she usually did when guys checked her out. Natsu wasn't looking at her in _that way._

"Celestial wizard, right? Got a team yet?" Natsu asked.

She was shocked he recognized her keys. Most wizards didn't.

"Umm...no, not yet."

Natsu grinned widely. "You should join my team."

She could see Gray doing a double take behind Natsu's back. "Me? You want me on your team? Without even seeing my magic?"

"Sure, why not? Happy said you were nice."

"I said _Levy_ was nice! This one! I _liikkkke her!_ LEVV-EEE! Will you please join our team, Levy?" Happy turned huge, pleading eyes towards the bluenette.

The solid script mage pulled Happy into a tight hug.

"I can't. I'm already the leader of Team Shadow Gear with Jet and Droy," said Levy sadly.

Happy's eyes started filling with tears, but Levy was quick to console him, using two hands to rub his belly. The cat's eyes rolled back in his head in a state of pure bliss, softly purring.

Natsu dusted off his hands like it was all settled. "How 'bout it? Wanna be on Team Natsu?"

 _Oh, the ego!_

Lucy hedged, "Can we call it Team Lucy instead?"

"Who's Lucy?"

" _I'm_ Lucy! You just asked me to be part of your team?"

 _Was this guy stupid or what?_

"I thought you said your name was Luigi," Natsu replied with a shrug, nonplussed.

"What? No. It's Lucy," she huffed. This boy was irritating her. She had a strong urge to Lucy-kick him halfway across the room.

 _Then he'd remember my name._

"Fine, whatever," Natsu groused, crossing his arms in front of his rather impressive chest.

"Wanna join my team, _Luc-yy_?" He said her name like it was in quotes, as if he didn't quite believe it was her real name.

She frowned at him. Natsu was weird! But he was being nice to her, which was more than she could say about his cat.

The blonde would never admit it, but she'd been a teeny bit upset when she and Levy didn't instantly form a team, even if Levy still went out on jobs with her. She'd been at Fairy Tail for three months and not one person had asked her to join their team. She had tried to dismiss it as the group being nice and giving her time to settle in, but it had secretly hurt her feelings. Now this strange boy with the fire magic was offering her a partnership on a silver platter without even knowing her.

"Who else is on your team?" She asked. She felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of having a _real team._ People who she could count on and who would count on her.

"Huh? It's me," Natsu pointed to himself as if that was more than enough people. "And Happy, of course. Right, buddy?"

Happy had either fallen asleep in Levy's arms or was ignoring him. Lucy would guess the latter. Natsu seemed uncomfortable by the lack of response from his cat. He scratched underneath his white scarf at his neck, his eyebrows knitted together in thought.

"Oh! And sometimes Erza and the ice princess come along with us," he finished.

 _I can be on a team with Gray?_

Lucy resisted the urge to pinch herself. Instead, she tilted her head to the side to get a better view of the ice make wizard.

"Actually, that's not such a bad idea, flame brain," Gray stroked his chin in thought. "Having Lucy on the team would give us more balance. Her magic is really cool."

 _Gray thought her magic was cool?_

She felt herself swelling with pride at his words. She was constantly amazed by everyone else's magic. It hadn't occurred to her that anyone—aside from Levy—would admire hers back.

"Are you sure you won't mind?" she asked Gray shyly. She ducked her head to avoid him seeing the heat on her cheeks.

"Why would _he_ mind? It's me who's asking, you weirdo," Natsu puffed out his chest, a petulant look on his face.

"Hey, I'm not a weirdo!"

"What's your deal, man? Lucy's talking to me!" Gray was up from the table like a gunshot, glowering as he staked toward Natsu with clenched fists. Natsu sneered, pulling back his own fist.

Lucy quickly moved between the two wizards, her arms up like barricades as she kept the two apart. Her troubled brown eyes darted back and forth as she stood in the middle of the pair.

"No more fighting! Makarov warned you both!"

Gray and Natsu stopped scowling at each other, looking down at the celestial mage caught between them, both dropping their fighting stance. Lucy sighed in relief, her arms falling to her sides.

She turned to face Gray first, her voice timid, "Do you really want me on your team?"

Gray met her gaze for a split second before he turned his head to the side, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted quietly.

Levy was behind Gray's back, gaping. Her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, no words coming out. Lucy couldn't blame her. She was having a bit of a fish-out-of-water experience herself.

She turned back to Natsu, pulling her shoulders back as she raised herself to her full, unsubstantial height.

"Natsu, I'd be honoured to join your team." She grinned happily, holding out her hand to seal the deal.

"Awesome! Let's go find an adventure together!" Natsu grabbed the hand she offered and started pulling her toward the request board. Lucy found herself grinning at his unbridled enthusiasm, but she couldn't go traipsing off into the woods on a mission right now.

"Natsu, wait!" she yelled, "there's something I need to do first."

"What?" He stopped walking, but didn't let go of her hand. Lucy figured he didn't even realize he was holding it.

"It's kind of a long story," she pulled her hand from his, sparing a glance at Gray, "I can buy you all dinner while I tell you about it, as a thank you for letting me join your team."

Before she could blink, Natsu and Happy were kneeling in front of her, bowing deeply over and over.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," the fire mage and the blue cat repeated, prostrating themselves in front her.

Lucy giggled at their absurd behaviour. _The cat likes me now, huh? Didn't take much to win him over._

"Don't be silly, it's the least that I could do."

"Ahem," Gray cleared his throat, a pained expression on his face. "Lucy, that's a generous offer, but Natsu eats a lot."

Lucy waved him off, even though Natsu was vigorously nodding in agreement.

"Its fine — really," she promised, "order whatever you want. My treat."

Natsu's face lit up in excitement as Gray's turned deathly pale.

The fire mage ambled over and slung one arm around her shoulder, grinning down at her. "Thanks, Lucy! I knew you were one of the good ones!"

Natsu gave her a firm squeeze, his arm coiled around her neck in a boa constrictor grip. She gasped for air as he inadvertently tightened his chokehold, cutting off her oxygen. First Erza was crushing her skull into a breastplate, now Natsu was holding her in a stranglehold against him.

It was Hug-A-Lucy day.

She pushed away and Natsu released her neck, but his arm slid further down, holding her tightly at the waist. She gulped in air, panting. Natsu frowned at her, looking puzzled.

"Umm...Natsu?"

"Huh?"

"Can you let me go now?"

"What? Oh sure, sure. Whatever you want." Natsu mumbled, dropping his arm.

She stepped back from him, running her hands up her forearms to her shoulders. Natsu's natural body heat had sent a scorching sensation rushing up her body. It wasn't exactly painful, but it felt odd.

She looked up to find Levy and Happy laughing at her.

"What's so funny?" she asked, mystified.

"Lu-chan, you're as red as a tomato!" Levy declared.

"You _liiiikkkkee_ him," Happy teased, all smiles now.

"Ash Breath obviously doesn't understand the concept of personal space," said Gray, looking seriously pissed off.

"Oi! At least I'm not an icy stripper!"

Lucy looked closer to see Gray's shirt was gone yet again.

 _How'd I miss that?_

She tallied it up as the eleventh time she'd seen him shirtless. She tried not to gawk, but he was so beautiful, it was like he was shimmering in heat haze. Ice haze? Whatever.

She frowned as the stupid cat flew in front of Gray's chest, effectively obstructing her view of the the sweetest set of sixers to grace the gods' green earth.

Happy gave her a suspicious look, so she quickly averted her eyes and walked back to the table, sitting across from Levy with her back to Gray. Levy was grinning at her. Lucy ignored her gaze and used her thumbnail to scratch a line into the wood, then smoothed out the line she had just made with the pad of her index finger. She could feel Levy's eyes boring into her lowered head, but she started a second scratch to avoid eye contact with her best friend.

"Seriously? How'd I lose my shirt _and_ pants this time?" Gray's bewildered voice asked behind her.

Lucy craned her neck as he spoke, but unfortunately—or fortunately—Gray was standing a handspan away from her and she was eye-level with certain parts of Gray's anatomy.

The black, baggy boxers kept all of Gray's secrets intact, but being that close to an almost naked man had Lucy shooting right out of her seat.

"Levy, can I talk to you in private? Right now?"

Levy's eyes danced with merriment. "Oh, you want to talk to me?" she drawled out, "in _private?"_

 _Is it because you're looking at Gray's privates?_ Levy's thoughts beamed at her.

 _Exactly. Now let's go!_ Lucy hauled the bluenette to her feet, Levy laughing her head off.

"Order whatever you want, we'll be back in a minute!" Lucy called out to the two confused men behind her as she dragged Levy towards the bar.

"I know what we can do to help Erza," Lucy said firmly to cut through the teasing she was sure Levy was _dying_ to dish out to her.

Thankfully, Levy instantly sobered up, looking serious.

"We'll throw a welcome home party for the dragon slayers," Lucy declared.

"Huh? How does that help Erza?" Levy cocked her head to one side, her eyebrows pinched together in confusion.

"The most important thing in Erza's life is her family. _Us._ She said it at brunch, remember? If we throw a party to celebrate Fairy Tail, she would probably be really happy. A party would bring everyone together and what could mean more to Erza than having all of us celebrating? It would be too weird to throw a party for her for no reason, right?"

"And it's not too weird to throw a party for a bunch of people you've never met, aside from one?" Levy fired back.

Lucy figured that was coming and had an answer ready. "No, because I can say it's to celebrate me joining Team Natsu, as well!"

Lucy chewed on her bottom lip as she implored, "Lev-chan, it could work! We can also tie in a 'Welcome to Fairy Tail' party for Juvia."

Levy shook her head in disagreement. "No, Juvia hates being the centre of attention…" she replied as she turned the idea slowly over in her mind, "But Juvia would come to a party if we didn't make her the guest of honour. She won't be able to refuse if both of us were hosting it."

Lucy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "So you'll do it? You'll help me?" She bounced on her heels, elated.

Levy laughed at her best friend's antics, "Of course. When do I ever say no to you?"

"Great! Let's go tell the boys our amazing idea."

They approached their table and she saw Gray buttoning up his pants, still shirtless.

 _Thank you, Mavis!_

She could hear Natsu finishing up his order to Mira.

"...and four orders of the fire chicken, Mira."

Mira clacked her tongue as she finished writing, "Are you sure you can afford all this, Natsu?"

"Don't have to, Lucy's treating us."

Mira caught sight of her. "Natsu can eat an enormous amount of food. This will cost a lot." She sounded worried.

" _A Heartfilia never goes back on their word."_ Her father's voice rang in her ears.

Mira's expression however, told her she may have underestimated how much money she would need. She stood where she was while Levy continued onward to their shared table. She waited for Mira, halting the silver-haired beauty as she passed by, asking in a low whisper how much this meal was going to cost. The number Mira murmured back made her blanche. She pulled Mira a bit further away to ensure she wasn't overheard.

"Are you sure he needs all that food?" She whispered, incredulous.

Mira gave a sympathetic nod. "It's not often Natsu is able to eat as much as he likes. But if it's too much, I'm sure he'll understand."

Lucy was debating about taking Mira up on her offer when she caught sight of Natsu's crestfallen look. She motioned for Mira to come even closer.

"Can he hear us?" Lucy whispered softly, cupping her hand as she bent toward the shell of Mira's ear.

Mira nodded slightly, "Natsu and the other dragon slayers have excellent hearing. All their senses are enhanced, actually."

Lucy pulled away from Mira and said in a loud, clear voice, "I always keep my promises to my friends," She felt a genuine smile tug up the corners of her mouth, "I've joined Team Natsu tonight and I think we deserve to celebrate."

Mira gave her an approving grin, squeezing her forearm lightly before walking away.

Lucy sauntered back to her table, feeling much more light-hearted as she plopped down next to Levy. Her stomach flopped as Gray smiled at her, his perfect white teeth flashing his approval. Levy gave her a thumbs up. Only Natsu averted her gaze, staring down at the mug cupped in his long hands, seeming embarrassed. Lucy tried to will him to look up at her, but the fire mage wasn't having any of it.

"Natsu?" she implored.

Natsu's chin lifted slower than a rusted hinge. "You don't have to pay for my supper, ya know."

Lucy felt acutely ashamed of her earlier, less charitable thoughts about relinquishing on buying dinner. She could feel a flush heating her face, but she made no attempt to hide it.

"Natsu…" She waited until he met her eyes reluctantly.

"We're a team now, right?" She asked, making sure to include Gray and Levy in her gaze, "We should take care of each other."

At once, Natsu's demeanor changed; his face grew dark and he put down his mug.

"I will always protect my friends," he replied, his voice solemn and serious. Natsu's grave expression and tone were akin to someone swearing a blood oath.

 _I'm glad we don't have any cutlery. I'm not up for swearing fealty tonight,_ she thought.

Only to have her inner dialogue shut down as she took in Natsu's earnest expression. Everything Natsu felt, he showed clearly on his face. It was so vastly different from her own upbringing...honest and refreshing. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes.

Lucy's mind slid from snarky to sincere as she felt something soften inside of her; her voice coming out shaky as she spoke, "I appreciate that, Natsu."

Their eyes met for a heartbeat and Lucy felt something, but before she could register it, the moment was gone.

Natsu broke eye contact and gave a careless shrug, "Nah, don't even worry about it. We're nakama now. Fairy Tail is my family."

"Mine, too," Gray piped up, snapping Lucy out of her reverie.

Lucy meet his deep sapphire eyes, she felt her heart twist at how glorious a half-naked Gray Fullbuster really was. Just looking at him made her parched. She cleared her throat as daintily as she could.

"Now that the food has been ordered, Levy and I wanted to talk to you both about an idea we had." The blonde steepled her hands, resting her chin on them.

"We want to do something nice for Erza," Levy explained. "I'm going to assume that you both know a bit about Erza's past?"

Both men gave a reluctant nod, their discomfort visible.

"I can tell you don't want to share what was told to you in confidence," Lucy said softly, "And quite frankly, neither do we. However, we were thinking we should try to show Erza she means as much to us as we do to her. My idea is to throw a huge party to welcome back the dragon slayers and bring together as much of the guild as we can."

"A party for me? That's awesome!" Natsu punched his fist in the air, a delighted grin on his face.

"Are you deaf? It's for _all_ the dragon slayers, you slanted eyed idiot. In fact, the party is for _Erza_ –you're just the smokescreen!" Gray grumbled.

"Smokescreen? I don't smoke! Oi! Are you trying to insult me about being a dragon slayer? What the hell are you talking about, popsicle dick?"

Both men growled at each other, exchanging dirty glances. The atmosphere was suddenly rife with heavy tension as they sized each other up.

Levy left her seat beside Lucy, squeezing in between the two men. Both looked down at the tiny solid-script mage in confusion.

Levy looked left to right at each boy. "You guys don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

Natsu scratched his head, perplexed, but quickly shook his head.

Gray slid over a bit further to make more room for the bluenette.

"Of course not," he said politely.

"Natsu, a smokescreen means a ruse to disguise someone's real intentions," Levy explained.

Natsu tilted his head, a bewildered look on his face.

Levy's voice became a bit harsher, like a teacher about to explain something to an exceptionally bad student. "A cover up. A red herring?" she tried.

Natsu still looked lost.

"Dissimulation?" Levy hazarded then cursed herself inwardly for using too fancy a word. Natsu stared at Levy like she had grown two heads.

"A pretense?"

Still nothing. Levy threw up her hands in exasperation. "Make believe?"

"Oh, you mean you're going to _lie!"_ Natsu snapped his fingers, a proud smile on his face.

Levy looked put out by Natsu's inelegant interpretation of their grand plans. She scowled at the fire wizard and pointed her finger at his chest.

"You should read more," she denounced, which was pretty much the ultimate insult from Levy.

Lucy snickered at the sight and all eyes swerved toward her. She dropped her hands to the table. "Yes, we want to lie to Erza, but couldn't Fairy Tail use a good party?"

"Hell yeah – I'm always up for a party!" Natsu agreed.

Gray smiled at her, leaning back from the table, which gave Lucy a better view of his chest. He caught her eye—he seemed to know she was staring at it. He raised one eyebrow, running a hand through his thick black hair—tousling it so it was even sexier.

Lucy gulped, sure she was about to swallow her own tongue. She could hear her own heartbeat drumming in her chest and a low, husky voice permeating the air.

 _Words._

Gray was saying words now. She squinted at him, trying to decipher what he was saying and caught the tail end of his question.

"...you and Levy are going to organize it?"

Lucy swallowed thickly, grabbing a quick glance of Gray's rock hard abs for courage.

"Yes, but we could use your help, especially with invitations and stuff." She mumbled, twisting her fingers together to relieve some of the pent-up tension spiking throughout her body.

"Is that why you can't go on a job with me — because you wanna throw this party?" Natsu asked.

She blinked a few times, reluctantly tearing herself away from the gorgeous ice wizard who was giving her a smouldering smirk.

Her eyes came to rest on a disgruntled Natsu. He was giving her the most peculiar gaze, part disbelief and disgust mixed with something softer she couldn't identify. She couldn't fathom why he'd be looking at her like that. It made her uncomfortable.

She drew a deep breath of air into her lungs, "Right, Natsu. I want to have the party soon and we need to figure out where and when we're throwing it."

"How about right here at Fairy Tail?" the pinkette suggested.

Gray shook his head vehemently, "Gramps will never agree to that, we've wrecked the place too many times already!"

Levy jumped up from the table, a devious smile on her face. "That's perfect. We need money to throw the party and if I ask to have it here first, he'll hate the idea. But if I then offer to take it somewhere _else_ , if only we had some money…" she trailed off to let the others catch her drift. "I bet you anything that Master Makarov will be far more generous with the jewels that way!"

Gray stared up at Levy in open admiration, "You're diabolical."

Levy smiled sweetly at him and curtsied.

"Lu-chan, talk to Mira. If she agrees to us having a party, then we're having a party. No one says no to Mirajane Strauss. I'll go talk to Makarov. We'll meet back here once we figure out what we're working with. Boys, you know Erza better than we do. What kind of party would she like? Something fancy, informal, inside, outside?"

Levy pulled a notebook and two pens out of her purse, ripping off a piece of paper for each of them. "Brainstorm and write down any ideas you have."

Elfman arrived at their table with a tutting Mira behind him.

"A real man helps a lady carry heavy things!" he crowed, balancing several heaping trays of food on his extended forearms. Natsu leapt up to grab the nearest tray and started shovelling food into his mouth.

"I brought you all some drinks on the house," Mira chirped as she came up from behind her massive brother.

Lucy was relieved to see none of the drinks were purple. "Are they alcoholic?" she asked with trepidation.

"Only the fire whiskey for Natsu," Mira reassured her, selecting a small glass of amber liquid from her tray and placing it in front of the dragon slayer. Lucy sighed with relief and picked an almost translucent glass that had the slightest blush of pink hue in it.

"That's just water with some fruit juice mixed in to give it more flavour," Mira explained.

She took an experimental sip and found it delicious. "Mira, can I talk to you? Levy and I have an idea but we'll need your help to pull it off."

Mira's cerulean blue eyes lit up and she quickly finished putting the drinks in the middle of the table.

"Give me ten minutes. I need to serve a few more tables but then I should be all yours for a bit!" Mira said brightly. Then she rushed off.

Elfman was placing the last two plates of food on the table. Lucy noticed Levy wasn't sitting between the two boys any longer.

Natsu must have been following her gaze. "Levy went to talk to Gramps, if that's who you're looking for," he offered, picking up a bowl of soup. He tipped the bowl to his mouth—no spoon required—slurping it down in seconds.

She looked over at Gray, who had taken a small plate of food. He was using a knife and fork as he ate sedately, taking small bites, chewing with his mouth closed. A napkin lay across his lap and he kept elbows off the table – using the same perfect table manners that Lucy had been taught.

Natsu, on the other hand, was shoving food into his mouth at breakneck speed. Empty plates were already stacked beside the fire mage. She watched in fascinated horror as he put an entire chicken leg in his mouth in one instant, then pulled out only the bone in the next. He threw the bone in the general direction of the stacked plates, moving on to a pasta dish.

He swirled the fork around his plate the way a hired hand at a carnival would work a cotton candy machine, coming up with a colossal bite that he seemed to swallow without even chewing.

Lucy couldn't help it, she started laughing at the sight of this uncouth man with bits of food flying everywhere, digging into each dish. Natsu didn't pause in his eating, but gave her a curious glance.

"Wad's ump?"

She could barely make out the question since he was still stuffing his face. She'd always been taught it was rude to talk with your mouth full. At least he put his hand in front of it to shield her from the sight of his partially regurgitated food, so he wasn't entirely ignorant.

"Natsu Dragneel, I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you," Lucy replied.

"Thanks, Luce!" He beamed at her. Natsu's tone implied this was the highest compliment he'd ever been given. He tried to smile at the celestial wizard with his mouth closed, lips straining, his cheeks so crammed with food it came out as a weird grimace.

Lucy understood and smiled back.

There are moments in life you remember with perfect clarity—odd moments that you look back upon and mark with certainty—you say after that, life never was the same again. The air distills, time slows, your breath hitches, and your body hums like a tuning fork.

It was a bizarre scene for a pivotal moment, but in that instant, Lucy knew she truly belonged on Team Natsu.

* * *

 _Beta: xSteleAliniax_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thanks to ShanaHollows who stepped up again with her mad-skills editing power. Ker-chow!**_

 _ **Question from Professor of Gallifrey: "Are you going to put a lot of Gale in, as well?"**_

 _ **Answer: Considering Chapter 4 is entirely from Gajeel's POV, I'm going to have to go with yes. Yes, I am.**_

 _ **Thank you**_ _ **so**_ _ **much for reading, following, and reviewing. You guys are amazing! Sending a little extra love to all of you, but I have to give a shout out to my reviewers! ShanaHollows, Professor of Gallifrey, BeachBumBabe, MasterGildarts and Satyrykal (x2)! Thanks for taking the time, guys.**_


	4. Chapter 4 - Gajeel and Levy

_She is both, hellfire and holy water. And the flavour you taste depends on how you treat her._

 _\- Sneha Pal_

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Gajeel and Levy**

Gajeel was sitting at a table that was pushed up against the wall in a darkened corner of the guildhall, where he could see everything but went unseen by most. Just how he liked it. He'd fight anyone head on, but it was a point of pride that whenever he wanted to, he could hide in plain sight. Being 6'5" with multiple piercings, red eyes, and having hair that was as untameable and as wild as the man himself, it was no small feat to be inconspicuous in a crowded room.

Mira had bought him a pitcher of beer and a mug when he'd first arrived. Aside from exchanging a few blows with Laxus and slamming Natsu into the ground for an extra bit of fun, he hadn't left his seat.

He'd watched Natsu invite some busty blonde to join his team. At first he'd thought the kid was finally showing some interest in a woman, what with grabbing her hand and then hugging her, but a quick sniff showed zero arousal coming off the pinkette. He wasn't claiming her, but...there was something odd in the air around Briquette Balls, a whiff of protection flaring off the fire mage around the blonde whenever frost princess got too close.

Gajeel didn't give it more than a moment's thought. As long as there was no claim, the field was wide open, as far as he was concerned. Gajeel found himself studying the blonde. She had been almost twitching in excitement when Natsu offered her a spot on his team. He scoffed at that. _He_ didn't have a team, aside from his exceed, Pantherlily, and he was doing just fine.

His eyes raked her up and down. _Lucy._ She'd introduced herself. Just his type. Big hair, big breasts, and a big smile. Gajeel Redfox, iron-dragon slayer and sex god, knew exactly what to do to make that smile bigger, too.

She was a cute thing with her blonde ponytail and a certain _eagerness_ that he wouldn't mind exploiting, at least for a night.

He was contemplating going up to the girl when he caught the scent of something mouthwatering. He flicked his gaze over and found the source: some small, blue-haired chick with zero rack to speak of; her head was turned to watch Lucy and Natsu talking, her wavy blue hair obscuring her face.

He scowled that some tiny no-titted thing might have caught his attention. No, he must be mistaken. That delectable aroma was coming from somewhere else. His dragon senses had never been wrong before, but then again he'd just been on a five month mission with a bunch of guys not prone to washing their laundry—himself included—so maybe he was wrong? He took a deeper sniff, the scent of buttercream and tangerines invaded his olfactory cavity. His mouth filled with saliva. Then the girl turned her head and he caught sight of her face in profile.

 _Fuck._ He bit his lip, _hard_. He was no poet, but this girl had the face of an angel. The caramel eyes were huge, thick-lashed and expressive. Skin like porcelain, but with a stubborn chin. He liked that. Lucy was all but forgotten as he focused on Levy. He breathed in her scent again and felt his pants grow tight.

 _Like hell am I sitting across a room from a girl getting a boner like I'm fourteen!_

He drank his beer, inhaling the scent of hops and barley and gave a soft sigh of relief when his pants slackened once again. He might have to ease up on the deep breaths around this girl, a thought that irritated him to no end.

Just because she had a face and a scent he found appealing shouldn't have reduced him to some salivating idiot. He was better than that! He bestowed his abundant favours on many women, always the predator, never the prey, but now short stack was reducing him to a horny teenager? Nope. No, sirree. Not him. _Nice try, small fry._

Despite his internal protests that there was no way he would succumb to some woman based on her _smell_ and maybe her face—neither of which had been a huge factor in all his previous conquests—he still somehow managed to eavesdrop on her conversation with Lucy. Gray had lost his shirt and pants like the dumbass stripper he was. Gajeel then caught the unmistakable scent of desire and almost growled before he realized it was coming off Lucy, not Levy.

 _About time someone gave popsicle dick a tumble._ He couldn't tell yet what Gray thought of Lucy, seeing as the ice make wizard was preoccupied with finding his clothes. Out of the corner of his eye, Gajeel spotted Cana surreptitiously kick Gray's shirt under a bar stool.

He heard Busty asking for the bluenette's help in throwing a party, allegedly for the dragon slayers but really for Erza. That didn't sound bad to him. He had a bit of a soft spot for The Titania. They usually sparred together, and the redhead knew how to throw a punch. That alone would have commanded his respect, but she was a ballsy chick who scared the shit out of pyro pants and the icy stripper on a regular basis, which was always fucking hilarious.

His attention was drawn to the blonde bouncing up and down on her heels. He heard Levy agreeing to help her plan the party.

 _Blondie's hopping around like a bunny,_ he thought distractedly, but his focus was on Levy. She was a feisty thing. She had already demanded Gray and Natsu write her a list of party ideas and then the sly little minx was conspiring to get the old man to pay for it. He watched her disappear into the back to Makarov's private office.

 _She's got spirit, that's for sure._

He watched as Lucy asked for Mira's help in throwing a party. Mira was agreeing practically before blondie could get the words out. Both of them were blathering in voices that got higher and shriller the more enthusiastic they got. Gajeel saw Laxus putting on his headphones to block it out. Natsu was too busy shoving his face full of food to notice. Wendy started wincing, but Gajeel knew she was far too polite to say anything.

After what seemed like ages, Levy finally returned from hitting up Makarov. It was a small mercy for all the dragon slayers when blondie left Mira to go sit back down.

Levy stood at the head of the table, examining her cuticles with feigned indifference, but a smug smile played on her lips.

"How much did you get?" Lucy asked.

When Levy told the group the amount Makarov agreed to, Gray let out a low, appreciative whistle. The bluenette neither blushed nor simpered, seeming to have utter confidence in her negotiating skills. Gajeel had never heard of Gramps forking out for a party before and his respect for the blue-haired girl rose up a notch.

He watched as Levy snatched up the lists the boys had made, a frown immediately crossing her face.

"What is with this list, Natsu?" she asked rhetorically before reading out, "'Fire pits filled with roasted pigs, fire chickens and other assorted meats? You spelled 'assorted,' wrong, by the way. There's only one 't'," she corrected peevishly.

Natsu grumbled, "Like I care."

She stared daggers at him, but finished reading the list. "And some dragon balloons?'" She flashed incredulous eyes at the pinkette, her mouth turned downward in distaste, "This is the shittiest list I've ever seen."

"Oi! I like food! And balloons!" Natsu protested. "Oh, and some raw fish for Happy, can't forget him."

Natsu half-rose in his seat, reaching up to grab the list from Levy, pen in hand ready to write. Levy held the list as far away as her small arm would allow. Natsu could've easily reached it, if he could be bothered to stand up, which he couldn't.

He sat back down with a humph, grumbling under his breath, but Gajeel could hear him just fine, "I thought this was supposed to be for a party I would like, too."

Levy had already moved on.

"Gray, this isn't even a list!" Her tone annoyed as she read, "'I can make ice for the party'." Levy rolled her eyes. "You two are useless."

"What are you talking about? Every party needs ice!" Gray protested.

"I asked you two to brainstorm, this isn't _brains_ and as for _storm,_ my plants leak more water than this!"

"Gi-hi-hi-hi!" The cackle escaped from his lips before he knew it was coming out.

Huge, fudgy eyes clashed with his own. Levy put her hands on her hips and bellowed, "Hey, you! If you think it's so much fun to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, then you might as well get over here and help us!"

Lucy tugged on her best friend's arm, whispering, "Uh, are you sure that's a good idea? That guy doesn't look too friendly. He might just want to be left alone."

"I've got this, Lu," Levy admonished, shaking the blonde's hand off.

Gajeel had heard this little pipsqueak earlier, using uppity words he sure as hell didn't understand. Sure, she got Gray and Natsu to assist her, but those bleeding heart wimps were pushovers! The old man helped her, but that was out of self-preservation to keep his guild from getting wrecked. Plus, Gramps was a sucker for a pretty face.

"Might wanna listen to your friend, shorty." Gajeel rose to his full height on the pretense of pouring himself another beer.

He scooped up the mug and took a long swig, then slowly swiped his mouth with his backhand. He leaned forward so that Levy could see his red eyes and the snarl on his metal-covered face. It was the type of glowering look that had never failed to send royal guards scampering. He could hear Lucy gulp and even hear the blonde's heart racing under her ample chest.

Levy took one sharp intake of breath, but her heartbeat was normal. She stalked over to his table, a good foot and a half shorter than him.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" She glared up at him, all bright caramel eyes and flushed pink cheeks.

"Shrimp, I ain't gotta try to do nothing," he rolled his massive shoulders and stared down at her, a feral grin showing sharp canines.

Levy remained unmoved and unimpressed. "Oh, where do I start? Double negatives and poor grammar.

"Basics first, _lout."_ she held up her hand and started counting off on her fingers. " _One_ – I'm not a 'shrimp'."

She held up a second finger. " _Two_ – saying you 'ain't gotta try to do nothing' is a double negative meaning the opposite, that you _are_ trying to do _something."_

A third finger went up. _"Three_ – there's no such word as 'ain't'!"

"There ain't?" Gajeel was caught off guard, sure she was mistaken.

"No, there _ain't,"_ Levy teased before she broke out into a fit of giggles.

Hearing her lilting laugh and seeing her face radiate joy broke something inside him.

 _Mine, mine, mine,_ chanted a jubilant voice.

 _Dammit. Lock it down._ He dodged her gaze and breathed through his mouth. That was a mistake. She was standing so close he could practically _taste_ her scent. Like cake batter and marmalade. It should've been cloyingly sweet, but it wasn't. It clawed at his insides. Demanding. Determined. Desirous.

A growl thundered through his chest, which caused the blonde bunny to give a frightened "Eep!", but the little spitfire in front of him didn't bat an eyelash. She stood there, smiling expectantly up at him. They faced off for a long moment before he relented.

"Guess I'm your only hope, Shrimp," he said. "Them two idiots are dumber than a bag of rocks."

" _Those_ two idiots, not them," Levy corrected primly, her voice like a schoolmarm.

"Right here. We're literally sitting _right here_ , guys," Natsu mumbled.

"A fine way to treat friends," added Gray, "especially when you're asking those friends to help you."

Gajeel and Levy ignored them and exchanged grins. Levy couldn't understand why Lucy was acting terrified—this big lummox won't hurt her. When Gajeel realized that he was smiling, his face formed into his usual scowl.

"Gajeel Redfox," he barked out, not bothering to extend a hand.

"Levy McGarden." Her smile had disappeared and she folded her arms across her chest— _what there was of it,_ Gajeel thought.

"Yeah, I know," he said.

Levy shot him a suspicious look so he supplied, "We dragon slayers got enhanced senses. Hearing, smell, sight…" _Taste._ He suddenly pictured Levy lying beneath him, his tongue slowly dragging across her collarbone. He frowned deeply, what was this shrimp doing to him?

"So I heard you talking earlier to pinky and the ice prick," he continued robotically, turning his face away from her and taking shallow breaths. With great difficulty, he managed to banish the image of her writhing underneath him, but he suddenly had an insatiable craving for birthday cake—the kind that kids ate—with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles.

He blinked a couple of times and noticed Levy had gestured that they should return to her table and was waiting for him to join her. Gajeel grabbed his pitcher and his mug of beer, then followed her, his nose wrinkling as he sat beside Natsu. Dragon slayers didn't particularly enjoy the scent of other dragon slayers, with Wendy being the sole exception. He wasn't sure if it was because she was female or because she was the sky dragon slayer, but Wendy smelled like fresh air and faint herbs. An innocuous, neutral smell.

Natsu smelled of smoke, but not the good ol' forge-fire smoke that Gajeel knew he smelled like, but more earthy, like a campfire. _Ugh, disgusting._

He had mostly gotten used to it, but that was one of the main reasons the male dragon slayers hardly sat together. That, and the fact they didn't like each other much.

"So what's your magic, Shrimp?" he asked.

"Solid script magic," Levy answered, not even bothering to ask him not to call her 'shrimp' anymore. "What's yours?"

"Iron dragon slayer. Flame Retardant is the fire dragon slayer, the blonde spark plug is Laxus—he's the old man's grandson and the lightning dragon slayer—and finally Wendy is our sky dragon slayer–she can heal, too." The fact that Wendy was the only one Gajeel didn't insult wasn't missed by Levy.

"What kind of guild master sends all the dragon slayers away on a five month mission?" Lucy wondered.

"A smart one." Laxus was up at the bar now, doing shots with the Thunder God Tribe, but his deep voice carried to their table. Gajeel nodded in agreement before turning back to Levy.

"Solid script magic? Never heard of it," he replied with a dismissive snort.

Levy practically pounced, moving far faster than he would've thought a girl her size could.

While flourishing her hand over his head, she announced: "Solid script: anvil!" and in the next instant, his hand reflectively swung up, catching a _freaking anvil_ a scant inch away from his skull.

"Did you just… " He took a moment to absorb the very _idea_ of this shrimp dropping anvils on him. Gray, Natsu and Lucy all looked petrified. Happy had flown protectively behind Levy, tears forming but seeming determined to whisk her away if Gajeel tried to lay a finger on her. Levy alone seemed unfazed.

"I knew you could catch it." She smiled sweetly, guileless brown eyes staring up at him, the picture of innocence.

 _Did she? Or was she just fucking with him?_ His sense of smell was scrambling his brain and he was questioning if his eyesight was working properly when he was getting caught up in fantasizing about Ms. Flat Chest. He had a feeling that either way, catching the anvil or letting it brain him, it made absolutely no difference to her.

 _This girl is both the angel and the devil on your shoulders._ He had the oddest sensation that she would be his undoing.

The tension in the room was palpable as the table stared at him. Gajeel hefted the anvil to eye level, pleased to see it was made of wrought iron and steel. He chomped down on it, taking an enormous bite.

"I needed a snack, Shrimp," he said between mouthfuls. He gobbled the whole thing up, then let out a loud belch for good measure.

"Have you finished showing off now?" Levy asked, arching one eyebrow.

"Gi-hi-hi-hi," he chortled, almost spitting out shrapnel. He wondered if he had ever met another woman before who was this challenging. None sprang to mind.

"Never," he said, bending his elbow to flex his magnificent right bicep.

Levy's eyes flicked to it, her mouth pressed into a small line. "Do you think you could bottle it up for a bit and help us plan this damn party?"

"Nothing about me can be _bottled,_ Shrimp," he waggled his iron-studded eyebrows at her, "but yeah, I can't do worse than Cinder Balls and Frozen Nips."

"Hey!"

"Oi!"

"He's got a point," Levy acknowledged, flapping her hand dismissively at the pair. "Your lists sucked."

Natsu and Gray exchanged disgruntled looks and Gajeel heard Natsu whisper, "You're so damn _picky."_

Gajeel pretended he didn't hear the pinkette.

"It's simple. Erza likes armour, weapons and strawberry cake," he offered. Levy rolled her eyes at him.

Lucy pressed her hands wide on the tabletop and bent forward sharply, causing her cleavage to surge to new heights.

"But we're going for subtle here," she said without a trace of irony.

Gajeel had no idea how she didn't notice she was almost flashing them. He smelled fresh blood and surmised Max's nose was bleeding from the bird's eye view she was giving a certain corner of the guildhall.

Completely oblivious, Lucy continued, "The strawberry cake is a good idea, we can definitely incorporate that, but we can't just hold it in an armoury or museum."

Gajeel shifted in his seat slightly, effectively blocking anyone aside their immediate table from seeing Lucy's heaving tits. Behind him, he could hear Max muttering, "You're an asshole, man."

Gajeel resisted the urge to turn and wink at Max to rub some salt into the wound. Instead, he refocused on the group.

"An outdoor space is better for the slayers. More people means more noise, more smells." He wrinkled his nose and fanned his face for emphasis.

"Lug Nuts is right," Natsu offered, seeming annoyed at having to agree with anything Gajeel said. "Outside is better, maybe a garden?"

"Something like a banquet hall might work," Lucy suggested slowly. She glanced down and absentmindedly tugged her red top back up; it dialled her cleavage level back down to massive from critical overload.

Levy seemed pleased that she was finally getting some decent ideas, her caramel eyes sparkled with fervour.

"Good, can we all check out some places tomorrow? We can all head in a different direction. Lucy can go East, I'll go West, Gajeel can go South and Gray and Natsu can go North."

"Huh? Why do I have to be stuck with the porn popsicle?"

"More like what have _I_ done to deserve being stuck with _you,_ scorched scrotum," Gray seethed as he started undoing his pants.

"Hey! Get your pants back on, frosty," Gajeel warned, gray scales appeared on his left arm as he prepared to use his iron dragon's club.

Gray tugged his pants back up and Gajeel heard several disappointed sighs from all around the guildhall. Gray spat out, "It's not like I have any control over it!"

" _Get_ control over it, ice dick," Gajeel growled menacingly but let his arm return to normal.

Lucy jumped in, "Levy, we both work at the bookstore tomorrow morning, remember?"

Levy clacked with her tongue, doing a quick revision. "Good news, boys. You're separated. Natsu go East, Gray head West, Gajeel can still go South, and who can go North?"

"I can!" Mira's offered sweetly from the bar. "If my brother doesn't mind helping out Makarov for a bit tomorrow."

"I'll keep my eye on things here like a real man," Elfman agreed. Gajeel, Gray and Natsu all shared an eye roll over Elfman's favourite phrase.

"Then it's all settled," said Levy. She sat back with a contented air for a moment and then speculated, "I wonder who will get bragging rights to say they found the ideal location?"

She couldn't have said anything more perfect to light a fire under all of them. Gajeel wondered if she knew how highly competitive Gray, Natsu and him all were. He could see Gray and Natsu sizing each other up. Gajeel carefully schooled his face into its normal, indifferent expression. When Natsu and Gray got around to looking at him, he looked almost bored. Dismissing him, they went back to challenging each other.

Lucy added some fuel to the fire when she declared Mira would be the one to find the perfect party location. That earned her a wide grin from the take-over mage and rumblings from Gray and Natsu.

Gajeel caught himself studying Levy. Even though he knew she had deliberately pitted him, Gray and Natsu against each other, he couldn't help but admire her cleverness.

There was no way he was going to lose tomorrow.

* * *

 _Beta: xSteleAliniax_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Alright, you guys are awesome! Over 50 followers for this story so far! You are all brilliant and amazing! Kittens and waffles for everyone! Glitter guns and hot anime guys for all! Thank you so much for reading! It really does keep me motivated!**_

 _ **To all my reviewers! THANKS! MasterGildarts, ShanaHollows, elorlan, xSteleAliniax, Celistastar, and silver light of dawn, you guys rock my world!**_

 _ **What did you guys think of this chapter? I have a**_ _ **huge**_ _**soft spot for Gajeel and Levy and this chapter was such a thrill to write. They are my favourite couple outside of Natsu and Lucy. How about you guys? What couples do you like together?**_

 _ **I think Sunday will be my posting day. It seems to work best with my schedule.**_


	5. Chapter 5: Dragon Slayers

_Beta – xSteleAliniax_

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Dragon Slayers**

 _Sunday Afternoon..._

Gajeel and Laxus were locked in single-arm combat. Their hands were clasped together, elbows on the table — their arms straining to push the other's wrist toward the tabletop to end this contest and declare a winner. Fairy Tail guild members gathered in a semi-circle around their booth.

To the casual onlooker, the match was too close to call. Both men were equal in musculature and almost of equal height.

Gajeel knew better, though. Laxus was at least two inches taller than he was. Gajeel's hair more than made up that difference, but for arm wrestling, it tipped the scales in Laxus' favour.

The longer the arm, the better the leverage.

They were both struggling but Gajeel could feel the inevitable pull toward defeat. Laxus tightened his grip and Gajeel's wrist unwillingly moved an inch backward. Gajeel tried to fight back, but lost another inch to the blonde behemoth. Laxus threw him a small smirk.

He was going down but he wasn't out. Not yet.

The stakes were high, and with a bet on the line between the two slayers. He wasn't about to go down willingly, regardless of the odds. Whoever lost the bet would have to perform an unspecified task for the other, whatever the winner wanted. Gajeel was fighting as hard as he could, and for more than just his own honour.

His imminent doom was pending unless he took matters into his own hands.

He turned his arm to iron, making it immobile and quickly gained the upper hand. He pulled his arm upright in the center of the table and locked his elbow.

"Cheater," Laxus hissed, stormy blue-grey eyes blazing with fury.

"Mira?" They called out as one. Mira was the referee.

Mira's eyes narrowed, she shook her silky white hair back and put her hands on her hips.

"No one said in the ground rules before the match started that no magic was allowed. Gajeel is within his rights to use it."

She furrowed her brow, clearly unhappy with the decision, but rules were rules.

Gajeel's mouth twisted up into a cocky grin. Laxus returned the iron-dragon slayer's arrogant look with a twisted-up, evil smile.

He was hit with a bolt of lightning from Laxus's hand before he could say _fuck my life._

 _Son of a bitch!_ If he could have screamed, he would have.

The lightning found the ideal conduit in the iron-dragon slayer's metal arm. Thousands of volts electrocuted him. Agony unlike any he'd previously known pulsated through his body. If he could unclench his locked teeth, he would've cried out in forfeit.

Laxus immediately redoubled his efforts to bring Gajeel's arm down, but Laxus's own lightning was working against him. Gajeel was so rigid that it was impossible to budge him an inch.

After a couple of fruitless minutes of trying to throw the iron dragon slayer's immovable fist to the tabletop, Laxus switched tactics.

The blonde giant was no dummy – he turned off the juice in favour of turning up the heat.

There was a split-second where Laxus released his lightning to begin to heat the metal in Gajeel's arm. It was infinitesimal, but Gajeel took the scant millisecond where Laxus changed his magic to use every ounce of power he possessed and slammed Laxus's hand into the wooden table, cracking it down the center.

"Gajeel wins!" Mira declared, grabbing the iron dragon slayer's free wrist and holding it upright. There was a lull as Mira looked around at Elfman, Bisca, Alzack, Macao, Wakaba, Reedus, Jet, Droy, Cana and the Thunder God Tribe.

His fellow wizards were dead silent. No one dared cheer for him. Not a breath of sound reached his sharp ears as his guild mates stared at him, stupefied.

Gajeel surmised by the stillness that most of the betting had gone in favour of Laxus, so a lot of jewels had just been lost. Whoever had betted for him was (rightly) staying mute on the subject to avoid the ire of their fellow guild mates. Mira kept bets private and, despite a tendency to gossip, she never broke betting confidentiality.

Gajeel half-suspected Cana had betted for him by the way she was avoiding looking at anyone else, her entire focus on the beer barrel in front of her. To be fair, Cana's focus usually _was_ on the beer barrel in front of her. But he could smell her thirst and excitement and it went far beyond the tame ale she was swilling.

He knew Cana tended to go for the underdog and she had almost supernatural instincts when it came to gambling. It was possible that she even used her card magic to assist her. He'd probably never know.

Mira quickly dropped his arm, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"It was a good match," she said to no one in particular.

There were some quiet murmurs that disagreed with her, but carefully worded. No one was foolish enough to incite the fury of either dragon slayer.

Laxus looked ready to kill someone. Gajeel could tell he would be Laxus' first pick of fresh-fried cadaver, but he doubted the lightning dragon slayer was overly finicky in that moment.

He also knew he would never win a challenge against Laxus again. He broke out into a cold sweat as he realized how close he'd come to losing.

 _Way too close for comfort_.

"What do I have to do?" Laxus asked between gritted teeth, reminding him of their bet.

Gajeel felt himself relax now the hard part was over. He allowed himself a quirked up smile, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver box. He tossed it to the blonde. Laxus caught the box easily and gingerly opened it.

"What the hell is this?" Laxus demanded, pulling out the small scrap of leopard print material.

"It's a speedo, dumbass. I want you to wear it to the beach next summer for an entire day. The deal is that you have to tell me which day you're wearing it so I can come see for myself," he said blithely, leaning back in the booth and letting his arm drape across the top of the wooden seat.

Laxus raised an eyebrow and the bathing suit a bit higher, stretching out the leopard-spotted swimwear. Laughter erupted all around them.

"A speedo? So precious, Laxus," Wakaba called out, forming three heart rings with the smoke from his pipe – the two smaller hearts flanking a big center one.

The heart rings rose high in the air and, with practiced ease, Wakaba shot a smoke-arrow through the largest one.

Everyone in the guildhall howled with laughter, except for Laxus who glared at Wakaba from his seat. The smoke mage didn't even notice.

"A banana hammock," Macao cackled, slapping his best friend on the back.

Wakaba chuckled and blew out more smoke to form an image of Laxus underneath the hearts. Smoke-Laxus was naked except for a strip of ribbon that two smoke-cherubs held up discreetly at his torso.

Smoke-Laxus had one hand on a jutted out hip, a coy expression on his face, blowing a kiss to the audience. When Reedus ventured a bit closer, paints in hand, smoke-Laxus winked at him. Screams of delight echoed throughout the guildhall.

Laxus's face turned purple as he watched his guildmates mock and humiliate him. His fists clenched until his blunt fingernails drew blood and a vein on his neck started to bulge out.

No one was paying attention, however. They were too transfixed on the smoke images Wakaba was creating.

"A scrote tote!" Cana catcalled, finding the whole thing hilarious. "Can we call you Laxass?"

Hysterical shrieks threatened to shatter Gajeel's eardrums, but _so worth it._ He gave Cana a high-five while Wakaba threw a few smoke-roses his effigy's feet.

A growl of thunder echoed through the air. Laxus's entire body glowed and lightning crackled across his outstretched arms. Bolts of electricity simultaneously hit Wakaba, Macao, Cana and Gajeel all square in the chest.

Their bodies collapsed to the floor, twitching, all completely unconscious.

The smell of burnt hair and scorched clothing permeated the room. Wakaba's trademark pompadour now resembled Gajeel's wild, spiked do.

Gajeel was the first to awaken, discovering smoke wafting from the various metal studs he had all over his body. The leather cuffs at his wrists smouldered. He ripped the cuffs off, examining the multiple small burns that dotted around both wrists, then frowned when he realized the burns weren't severe enough to scar him.

Too bad. A few battle scars never went amiss when it came to luring women into his bed. He briefly wondered if a certain bookworm liked scars.

Cana's precious barrel of beer had burst when the lightning had struck through it, her hair and clothes soaked with ale. Even knocked unconscious, her hands gripped the splintered wooden shards that remained, cradling them protectively to her body.

Laxus stood like a blonde Zeus, the Olympian King, God of Sky and Thunder. Small flickers of lightning created an aura around his body.

His gold-white lightning so dazzling that looking at him caused everyone's eyes to water and red spots to grey out their vision. He was so bright, it was painful to look at him directly.

He was like an angel: winged, avenging, fatal. The razor wire of judgement between life and death — far too bright and far too dark all at once.

Laxus watched with disinterest as Jet ran away—a panting Droy trailing behind—yelling at his friend to wait.

"Anyone else finding this amusing?" Laxus growled out through clenched teeth, glaring at the remaining guild members, lightning sparks crackling all around his body.

Furious shakes of the head answered him. Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen moved as if to comfort him, but he staved them off with a warning shake of his head.

All three Thunder God Tribe members took a protective stance beside him. Despite the fact that they too had been laughing with the rest of the guild only moments ago, their deadly expressions dared anyone else to so much as snicker.

For several heartbeats, the crowd just stood there, swerving on their feet, uneasy and unsure what they were supposed to do.

"It's not really that bad," a calm voice said softly.

Lexus turned, ready to obliterate the voice's owner when his eyes found Mirajane Strauss. Her bright blue eyes met his own. She came up beside him and laid a restraining hand on his forearm. He looked at her questioningly.

"I mean, you certainly have the body for it," Mira said, boldly sliding her fingers up Laxus's bicep.

Gajeel smelled her spike of interest in the lightning slayer which meant Laxus certainly did, too.

Macao was just regaining his sensibilities and gawked at the take-over mage and the lightning dragon slayer, his mouth hanging open, the jealousy rolling off him like waves in an ocean. Freed Justine of the Thunder God Tribe gave the pair an offended, resentful glance. Both men went completely unnoticed by Laxus and Mira.

Laxus studied the take-over mage with hooded eyes, his rage stuttering out like an engine losing steam.

Mira tossed her long white hair over her shoulder and smiled up at him, her expression playful. "Maybe I can come to the beach the same day you're going and wear a bikini."

Laxus had seen the silver-haired siren in a bikini many times, thanks to the multiple issues of Sorcerer's Weekly that freely passed around the guildhall. Still, seeing Mira's gorgeous body in a tiny bikini in real life as opposed to on paper made his palms sweat and his mouth grow dry.

"Are you going to wear leopard print, too?" Laxus asked, leering at the barmaid.

Gajeel bit his tongue to keep from laughing, his mouth filling with blood.

Mira shook her head, pouting prettily. "Animal prints are more Lisanna's thing," she dropped her hand from his arm, "I'm sure if you want her…"

"I don't." Laxus's firm voice brokered no argument.

Mira's eyes twinkled with mischief as she smiled up at lightning-dragon slayer.

"Good."

She stood a hair-width away from him, so close that the smallest movement would have brushed their bodies against each other.

Gajeel took this as his cue to exit. He picked himself off the floor and, in a moment of chivalry, he scooped up the still knocked-out Cana and laid her on a table.

Elfman was staring at his big sister and the lightning slayer with dawning realization and didn't look too happy with the way things were progressing.

Gajeel asked for a replacement barrel of beer for Cana, handing Elfman the jewels, even though he was positive Cana had just made money off him. Elfman had to go to the back room to get a fresh barrel.

When he was out of sight, Gajeel gave a knowing look to Laxus. He didn't like the lightning dragon slayer much, but as a fellow man whore, he couldn't let anyone get cock-blocked by _Elfman,_ of all people. That shit just wasn't manly. Laxus gave a short nod back and whispered into Mira's ear.

Besides, now Laxus _might_ forgive him for the speedo. After all, it seemed like the whole incident had gotten Laxus a date with the gorgeous Mira.

By the time Elfman returned with Cana's beer barrel, his sister had been whisked away by the blonde.

Gajeel saw Macao trying to lift up Wakaba, who was still out cold. Macao tried to drag his friend across the floor but then gave up and just sat at a table next to his best friend's prone body, requesting an entire bottle of saké from Elfman.

Gajeel made sure that he passed by Freed Justine on his way out the door. He shot the rune mage a significant look. Freed gave an imperceptible nod back.

 _Green-hair better hold up his end of the bargain,_ Gajeel thought as he gave a parting glance to Freed.

And then he was gone.

All animals seek out watering holes and theirs was Fairy Tail. They loiter, drink, and sometimes pounce on one another, all sharp claws and gnashing teeth. But when the fighting was over, they go back to the communal waters, lap them up, baptize themselves, and then lay outstretched in the sun.

Until it was time to hunt.

* * *

 _Late Sunday afternoon (same day)_ _…_

Natsu was wondering why he had agreed to this.

 _Because Levy challenged you and you couldn't let Gajeel and Gray beat you._

He had spent the morning wandering aimlessly, looking at banquet halls and country clubs. Everything started to look the same to him. He found one public garden that had a lot of space to spread out, but no kitchen. When he had suggested to the owner he could build some fire pits near the hydrangeas, he was promptly asked to leave.

People were so weird. It wasn't like he was going to charge them for it.

By the time he'd gotten back to the guildhall, Striploins and the Iron Maiden were already there. He could instantly tell by Gray's gloomy expression and the smug air around Gajeel that the iron dragon slayer had found the perfect spot to hold the party.

"If you hurry, you might catch up to the girls. They already went to check it out," Gajeel told them, handing Gray the directions on a piece of paper.

"You don't want to come with us?" Natsu asked in surprise. If this place was as good as the metalhead seemed to think it is, why not come to gloat? Natsu would.

"Nah...got a mission to go on. But I have no doubt that this is the place," Gajeel said, his lips quirking up into an arrogant smirk.

 _Man, I just wanna punch this guy._

"You wanna head out?" he asked Gray. Maybe if he wished upon a star, Gray would stay behind, too.

"Sure, I guess," Gray said reluctantly. Yes, the icy exhibitionist was probably his best friend, other than Happy, but that didn't mean they were wearing matching t-shirts and having tea parties whenever they hung out together.

They walked in companionable silence to the venue. That was another bonus of Freeze Dried, the ravenette didn't yap your ear off. It took about an hour and a half to get there, but that's only because they started hitting and punching each other on the way, launching into a full-scale fistfight. As always, the scuffle ended with no clear cut winner.

Gray dusted himself off after the fight, but Natsu couldn't be bothered, as long as his scarf was okay, he couldn't care less.

When the place finally came into view, Natsu groaned. _Now_ he could see why Iron Lung was being such a pompous asshole.

 _More than usual,_ he amended.

They were coming up to a _freaking castle._ In the middle of nowhere.

He could smell the girls as they approached the heavy wooden doors. He and Gray split off from each other the second they were inside, which wasn't a moment too soon for either of them. Gray took the downstairs, so Natsu headed upstairs. Not that he cared much about the bedrooms, the library or bathrooms up there.

No, he just always wanted to check out if rich people built secret passageways in their houses. If he were rich, he would have a secret slide hidden away that him and Happy could use all the time. _That would be awesome!_

He checked all the rooms, disappointed yet again. There was some neat weapons lying around, but that was about it.

"This place is perfect!" Lucy's voice rang out, her pitch about twelve octaves too high.

Natsu cringed at how loud she was and _he_ was on the complete opposite side of the mansion. But he supposed the high frequency was necessary for the hearing-impaired, like the stupid stripper.

He ventured toward where he'd heard Lucy yelling her head off. From an upstairs balcony off the master bedroom, he could see his blonde partner down below. She was walking down brick steps to a vast back garden, stopping by some flower beds to literally smell the flowers. He found himself grinning. He didn't think people actually did that in real life. His dragon senses were so heightened, he easily caught the fragrant scent of roses from up here.

From his vantage point, he could clearly watch Lucy undetected as she capered around the spacious grounds, spreading her arms wide as she twirled in a full circle. Lucy traipsed over to a water fountain that had some sort of weird stone naked chick posed in the center.

Lucy was stretching herself out on her tiptoes, tilting her head up. He thought in that instant that she looked like a sunflower – all sunshine yellow hair and deep brown eyes.

 _She's unbelievably c..._

Then Lucy lost her balance and almost face planted into the water fountain.

 _Clumsy,_ he amended, although it wasn't the word he'd been thinking of a moment before.

Lucy caught herself on the lip of the fountain's edge, teetering slightly until she caught her balance and Natsu burst out laughing as she stumbled back a few steps.

 _Man, that was hysterical._

Natsu shook his head, chuckling as she steadied herself on wobbly legs. She brushed herself down and Natsu could smell that she wasn't pleased with something. He figured she must have gotten a bit of water from the fountain on her outfit. He could already tell that Lucy was fussy about stupid things like that.

The fire wizard watched as her frown turned to a slight shrug and then a small smile was pulling up the corners of her mouth again. She started humming to herself as she walked along. He'd only known her for a day, but this was quickly becoming one of his favourite things about her. Her moods were unpredictable, but typically, she ended up with a smile on her face.

He watched her walking towards the edge of the estate and jumped off the balcony to land on the soft grass below to follow her.

* * *

Lucy was surrounded by autumn leaves that fell in slow swirls around her in the late afternoon sunshine.

Fall had always been her favourite season—nature displaying her finery of colours—the leaves crunchy when you walked on them; the breeze crisp and sweet-smelling.

Then Natsu just _had to_ come along behind her and dump a whole pile of leaves on her head, disrupting her tranquility.

"Ugh! Natsu! You got twigs in my hair!" She shook her head frantically, trying to pull the leaf fragments out of her blonde locks, which she had stupidly left down for once. What if Gray were to see her like this? All mussed up? She shuddered at the thought.

"Pfft, so what? It's just leaves!" Natsu retorted. To demonstrate his point, he threw a bunch of leaves over his own head, letting them fall into his pink mane and on his broad shoulders, uncaring.

"Some of us like to look our best, Natsu!" Lucy ran her fingers through her hair, finding bits of leaves stuck in it. _Ugh, this is going to take forever to fix!_

"Here. I can get 'em out," Natsu offered. He still hadn't bothered to remove them from his own head. Crimson, marigold and orange leaves were stuck in his spiked pink mop like a woodland crown.

Lucy suppressed a long sigh. How come men always looked good no matter how messy they get? And women looked like molting hedgehogs with the slightest gust of wind?

Natsu reached up, hands outstretched for her head and Lucy backed way, _fast_. She had the sudden image of Natsu using his fire magic to burn the leaves and twigs out of her hair and her entire head going up in flames. She might scar. Or he could singe off all her hair and she'd be bald, which would be far worse.

"No, Natsu. I'll figure it out on my own." She said firmly. She could get Levy to double-check it once she was done fixing it for herself.

Natsu looked like he was going to protest, but he shut his mouth. They stared at each other for a long, awkward moment.

"Suit yourself," he finally replied with a careless shrug, folding his hands behind his head as he walked.

Lucy fell in step beside him, carding her hair swiftly. After a few minutes, she could no longer feel or see any debris caught in the silky strands. She kept plucking at it. Fussily. Obsessively. She wanted to look as cute as possible for Gray.

As they walked, Lucy took a moment from smoothing down her hair to size up the estate they were on. She wasn't sure how many acres of space she was standing on, but the castle rivaled Heartfilia Manor.

The opulent surroundings were beautiful and spoke of old money. New money had a different look: too crisp, too clean, shrieking with effort. Old money whispered, the resounding cello, the low hum, compared to new money's clashing cymbals. _Pay attention to me!_ An eager puppy - oh very cute...until it peed on the carpets. New money was looked at with...not embarrassment, but the potential for embarrassment.

Old money was the stately wolfhound: noble, guarding, fierce, with nothing left to prove.

Although Lucy hated that she knew such things, she couldn't help what she'd been taught in her early life.

Besides, being able to tell if something was genuine or fake was a lesson that had served her well for years.

As she ventured outside, her eye was immediately drawn to the many suits of armour standing sentinel between trimmed rose bushes and the small brick paths around the various fountains, each holding a different weapon: ōdachi, sai, katana, tantō, and wakizashi were welded to hands of each warrior. More suits of armour stood guard outside each doorway. Each suit of armour had different helms, gauntlets and shields.

"This place is wonderful," Lucy said to Natsu.

"Yeah, I guess," Natsu muttered back, unenthused. Now that he lost the bet, he couldn't care less where the party was held. Maybe given the pheromones surrounding the iron-dragon slayer last night, it shouldn't have surprised him at how _motivated_ Gajeel was to win bragging rights.

He grumbled internally at that. He had initially thought Gajeel's interest in Levy was because the guy hadn't been able to get any action on the road for five long months and the metalhead had never been any good at keeping it in his pants. But now he could smell Levy again, there was an undeniable stamp around her...not claimed, but a territorial mark, one only other dragon slayers would be able to smell...a warning. Keep out. No trespassing.

Natsu snorted. Fine by him.

They found the vanilla-and-orange-peel scented mage standing near a fountain—the same fountain that Lucy had almost taken a nosedive into earlier.

Lucy asked Levy to inspect her hair and confirm it was free of leaves and twigs. Natsu gave one flat look of disinterest before wandering a bit further away. Watching Levy fuss over the blonde's hair had soured his mood.

* * *

The stone water nymph was posed with ropey hair covering her breasts modestly and a serene smile on her face. The nymph had one foot stuck in the water, as if testing to see if the temperature was to her liking. As Lucy watched, a Koi fish nibbled at the nymph's toes.

She was glad Happy had been too full and lazy from stuffing his face on her jewel last night to check out potential party pads with them. She had a feeling the blue cat would've tried to snatch up the Koi fish and Natsu would have done absolutely nothing to stop it.

 _Not like Levy would be much better._

The blonde could tell the little blue exceed already had the solid script wizard wrapped around his tiny blue paw.

Lucy wandered over to Natsu, who stood near two suits of armour. They were set up in eternal battle, one holding a katana, the other wielding a pole weapon that she knew was called a naginata, the two weapons clashing in mid-air.

"How did Gajeel find this place?" Levy asked, positioning herself across from the celestial mage, the suits of armour between them, the bluenette's face bisected by the naginata.

Gray approached the group from the brick path leading to the house, shaking his head and looking as dumbstruck as Natsu felt.

 _Nah, no one's as dumb as Frostbite._

"He probably smelled the iron," said Natsu in a petulant voice. He still couldn't believe that the iron-dragon slayer had bested him.

Gray stuffed his hands in his pockets. "He might've sniffed it out, but this is someone's house. Fairy Tail has a strong reputation for being rowdy and destroying things. I'm shocked anyone would lend Gajeel their place for the night. Especially something like this." He swept out his arms to gesture to the luxurious surroundings.

Levy hummed her agreement, finding it alarming that so much history and beauty was going to be thrust into the vastly incompetent hands of Fairy Tail guild, with herself on the hook for throwing this damn party.

 _Why did I let Lucy talk me into this again?_

Levy took a deep breath, measuring out her words carefully. "You're right, Gray – add alcohol, music, magic and the inevitable fights that we all get into and this place is going to be rubble."

She threw a panicked glance at Lucy before adding, "We should keep looking. There's no way I can afford to repair this place, Lu-chan."

Lucy stood off to the side, eyes scrunched as she surveyed the sheer size of the vast estate. She was wondering if the intimidating Gajeel had somehow threatened the owner into lending them the place.

Gajeel _was_ a member of Fairy Tail, which automatically made him one of the good guys, but Lucy felt if the iron dragon slayer wanted to, he could tap into some dark, scary parts of himself.

All she knew for certain was that if Gajeel had showed up at _her_ door at Heartfilia Manor asking to borrow it, she would've ran away screaming, tossing the house keys behind her.

But she wasn't one to look a gift horse—er… _castle_ —in the mouth.

"Don't worry about wrecking the place, Gajeel has it covered," Lucy assured her best friend. The blonde smoothed down her hair and jutted a hip out at the weird angle as she looked at Gray.

Levy had no idea what she was trying to do, but it certainly didn't look comfortable. Natsu gave a huffy snort. Gray tugged at the collar of his white shirt. Natsu thought it was miraculously he didn't strip. Lucy and Levy held their breaths in hope and then shared glances of crushing disappointment when the ravenette smoothed the material in place.

Lucy stared at the ice wizard for a moment, wondering if she forgot to light the right candle or burn the right herb to be devilishly cursed with a fully clothed _but-still-freaking-gorgeous_ Gray. Then she hugged her arms to her chest, letting her hip fall back into a more natural position.

"Gajeel is getting Freed to use his Jutsu Shiki runes around the entire mansion and grounds so that everything is protected. By the time Freed is done, everything of value will be off limits _._ Freed will key the staff we hire so they can enter and exit as they wish, but a lot of the rooms would be un-accessible to partiers. We get the kitchen, ballroom, bathrooms, and all the outdoor space but even the armour will be spelled so no one can tear off the weapons," Lucy mused, clearly thinking of Erza.

Her hand brushed the suit of armour nearest her, the one with the katana.

"Or _eat_ it," she added as an afterthought.

"How did Lug Nuts get Freed to agree to do all _that?"_ Natsu asked, both awe and suspicion clear in his voice.

Lucy shrugged.

"I don't know. All he would say is that Freed owed him a favour."

* * *

Back at the guild, a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Freed's eyes bulged as he scrambled to pick up, tucking it safely back inside his petticoat pocket beside the envelope containing his substantial winnings from the bet. He glanced around him, making sure there were no witnesses. Nobody needed to see this...the receipt for the leopard-print speedo.

Freed could just picture Laxus's hot beach bod in that revealing swimsuit. _Rrawrr!_ The image had him salivating.

He reached inside his pocket to touch the receipt like a talisman. This was a secret to be kept _strictly_ between himself and Gajeel.

* * *

 _A/N - A huge thank you must be given to ShanaHollows! This chapter lacked cohesiveness and she deftly came in and sorted it out. Without her, it wasn't where I wanted it to be. She literally (literary) saved the chapter. (Writing puns. Love them as I do!)_

 _We (it's just me, really) at Request Board Romance know you have many choices for FanFic stories. The reading part is done, but if you would like to Follow and Review, there's no subscription fee for joining, zero health questions asked and my gratitude is 100% guaranteed!_

 _My greatest joy is that you guys read this. It honestly makes my heart all fuzzy._

 _Writing is mostly a solitary activity, but I have readers who are fast becoming friends and writers whose work I admire and who don't mind me blowing up their Inbox when I want to share an idea that is working for me or despair that nothing is going right. They laugh at my jokes and talk me off the ledge. If you want to read a few more well-written, hilarious stories, go check out ShanaHallows, xSteleAliniax and quite-a-riot!_

 _Vanilla cake filled with orange curd and topped with sprinkles to all my reviewers! Guest, ShanaHollows, MasterGildarts, CelistaStar, noseinabook145, silver light of dawn, theycallmeBridge, Guest, Satyrykal_ _(x2 again!) :D_ _and quite-a-riot_ _ **(x4!) Dude! xo**_

* * *

 _ **Japanese weapons! (In case anyone is interested, because I did real research here, folks. Only the best for you guys!)**_

 _ **Ōdachi**_ _\- large infantry sword. Resembles a katana._

 _ **Sai**_ _\- melee weapon, resembles a long, pointed knife (but about dagger size, with a thin blade in the middle with curved inward prongs), seems to be used in pairs. I'm probably not describing it great, but I know Gabrielle used a pair of them in Xena: Warrior Princess. :D_

 _ **Tantō**_ _\- short sword._

 _ **Katana**_ _\- (probably everyone knows this), but a long, curved sword._

 _ **Wakizashi**_ _\- basically a dagger-sized katana. When the wakizashi is used with the katana, the pair of swords is called a_ _daishō_ _, which translates to mean "big/little," Paired together they were the official sign the wearer is a samurai._

 _ **Naginata**_ _\- pole weapon (the pole is made of wood or metal) and it has a sword mounted to the top of the pole (sword can be removed). I chose this as the clashing weapon against the katana because the naginata was used by female warriors (called Onna-bugeisha) who were Japanese nobility. I enjoyed the idea of the two suits of armour being two warrior women stuck in eternal battle. I think it would please Erza. (Yes, I try to please completely fictional characters in my story. What of it?) ;)_

 _ **Until next time, friends! xox**_

* * *

 ** _Important mention! Droy in my story is before the seven year time skip, so he's still thin._**


	6. Chapter 6 - Party

_**A shout out must be given to the incomparable ShanaHollows, who answers my PMs and STILL reads my chapters and polishes them up all pretty. She's so funny. I implore everyone to read Before I Get Gray. No spoilers**_ **–** _**it's hilarious on its own, but her ship name for Gray and Juvia is absolutely brilliant and weeks later, I still give her props for making me giggle about it.**_

* * *

 _Beta: xSteleAliniax_

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Party**

 _Two weeks later..._

"Juvia!" Lucy shouted out her pure joy at seeing her friend again. She opened the door wide to let the water mage into her apartment.

"Lucy-san," Juvia gave a formal bow at the threshold, her hands pressed together in front of her chest.

Lucy ignored the bow, instead pulling Juvia into a warm hug. Juvia returned the awkward embrace, a pink blush lighting up her cheeks. Lucy grabbed both her hands, pulling Juvia further into her living room to make room for Levy and Erza to come in behind her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to greet you at the train station yesterday," Lucy gushed, "Levy and I have been so busy organizing Erz…er… _the dragon slayers'_ party yesterday that only Levy could be spared to pick up you up from the train station. I trust that Levy and Erza got you settled in?"

"Indeed we have. Juvia is a very organized and meticulous person," Erza hummed with approval. "She needed far less assistance with sorting her things than either of you did."

Erza had gone to the train station to help Levy since the redhead had managed to get Juvia an apartment at Fairy Hills. (No one bothered to ask how she accomplished that, but Lucy suspected Scary Erza had shown up on the landlord's doorstep, casually brandishing a weapon, and asking if there were any upcoming vacancies).

Lucy and Levy exchanged amused glances at the implied insult.

"I'm glad you're settled in. Do you like your new place?" Lucy asked.

Juvia nodded and gave a sweet smile. "It has more space than Juvia thought it would for the price. Erza-san has done Juvia a great favour."

The blonde gave her friend a fond smile. Juvia always spoke of herself in the third person, but Lucy had long ago gotten used to it.

"How's the old gang doing? Kagura, Millianna, Beth, Risley and Arana?" Lucy asked eagerly.

"They miss you guys a great deal. Juvia is afraid she had a bit of a misunderstanding with Millianna, though." Juvia's cheeks went red and she avoided eye contact.

"Who's Millianna?" Erza interjected.

Lucy spared the requip mage a small, apologetic smile. One of the hardest things about seeing old friends and catching up with them was that new friends invariably had no clue who you're talking about.

"One of our old guildmates at Mermaid Heel. She sort of looks like a cat – triangle face, big brown eyes and always wears a choker with a bell on it. She's very friendly, and absolutely adores cats. I bet she would be super obsessed over Happy. A talking cat with wings? She would be feeding him all the fish he could eat! I think you'd like her," she explained.

"What happened between you and Millianna?" Levy asked Juvia.

Juvia went maroon, twisting her fingers in her lap. "Juvia only did what Kagura asked. She felt Millianna should learn to swim."

 _Oh no._ Juvia was a sweet enough girl, but she tended to be overzealous in the water if Kagura was egging her on.

Kagura's orders were much like Erza's – the same low, menacing voice, the same simmering expression...and the same implied "or die" at the end of their 'requests.'

Okay, that might be a tad of an exaggeration—since nobody had actually died (yet) – but not by much. These women were _terrifying._

Juvia was turning a puce colour. Even though the water wizard could breathe underwater, she tended to forget she could breathe in the open air, too. Especially when she was uncomfortable. She gasped out a long puffy exhale, sucking in breath when her lungs finally needed oxygen.

"We were in the ocean and Millianna refused to go further out than her knees, and Kagura said it would be best to have more water to help our friend learn. So...Juvia forced Millianna further into the water."

Levy raised a brow at Juvia's choice of words. "Forced? How did you force her?"

The water mage's voice dropped to a guilty whisper, "Juvia created a riptide...it pulled Millianna very far into the water...she almost drowned before Juvia realized her mistake."

Lucy laid a comforting hand on Juvia's knee. It sounded like a terrible set of circumstances, but she had no doubts it was a complete accident. Juvia wouldn't hurt a fly!

"Oh, Juvia, that's awful! But I'm sure Millianna will forgive you."

Levy threw an arm around Juvia's shoulder and chimed in, "Absolutely. Magic can be tricky. Anyone can get carried away. I'm sure she's over it already,"

Erza studied Juvia with narrowed eyes, "You created a riptide?"

Juvia nodded her head in shame.

The redhead's eyes grew large and her face went dark and serious. "Juvia, you must make a riptide for me when we go swimming."

 _What?_

Lucy looked around the room and she wasn't the only one completely and completely baffled. Levy had her mouth hanging open and Juvia's brows were puckered together in confusion.

"Why would you wish Juvia to do this?"

Erza's eyes flashed wide, her voice full of anticipation. "It sounds amazing. I bet fighting a riptide would be an excellent leg workout."

"Near-death drownings are not 'excellent leg exercises'!" Lucy sputtered out.

"They're not?"

Juvia stared at the redhead in stunned silence. Lucy would've liked to reassure her that eventually you get used to Erza's unconventional way of thinking, but she didn't want to lie to the girl. Oftentimes, Erza saw situations differently than those around her...especially if it resulted in a great work out, or a new piece of armoury for her collection.

"Swimming is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise. Will you go to the ocean with us, Juvia?" Erza asked, her eyes shining with determination. The implied 'or die' at the end of her question.

Lucy pressed two fingertips to her forehead. She didn't have the strength to deal with Trainer Titania tonight. Next she'd be adding 'riptide swimming' and 'bloody sharkbait butterfly strokes' to their workouts. The blonde shuddered at the thought.

And sweet Juvia would go along with it. If she was susceptible to Kagura's suggestions, there wasn't a hope in Fiore that she would resist The Titania's requests.

She shared an alarmed look with Levy.

 _Time to change the topic. Fast!_

"We should get ready for the party now!" Lucy exclaimed nervously, "I have a huge selection of dresses to go through!"

Erza and Levy perked up immediately.

 _Disaster averted. For now._

Lucy had persuaded them a couple of days ago that her vast, designer wardrobe from her former life would have some goodies for them to try on. They had agreed to come to Lucy's place to get ready for the party.

Juvia had only heard of Lucy's plans yesterday. She had agreed to go to the party, but that was it.

"Juvia doesn't want to inconvenience you."

"It's not an inconvenience," the celestial mage assured her. "Besides, you're meeting practically everyone from Fairy Tail for the first time. I want them to see what a knockout you are."

Juvia was a gorgeous girl, but her sense of fashion was...less than fashionable. She currently was wearing a blue button-up shirt that reached the top of her throat with a fur lined shawl covering her shoulders, paired up with a matching long blue skirt…and black army boots She wore a Russian fur-lined hat – which for someone who spends 80% of her time using water magic, seemed extra weird to Lucy. She knew she could transform the watermage into a spectacular knockout...if Juvia would let her. She closed her eyes, imagining a shimmering, silver dress that would showcase her incredible figure and accentuate her huge blue eyes and silky blue hair.

Erza's face gleamed excitedly at the prospect of diving into Lucy's wardrobe. She waited impatiently for the blonde to suggest the three of them go into her bedroom and start looking through the carefully selected piles of dresses she could clearly see had been laid out just for the occasion.

"Shall we?" Lucy asked.

She didn't have to ask twice, as Erza nearly bowled her over, crashing her way into the bedroom.

Lucy was suddenly very happy that she'd segregated the dress she'd chosen for herself. It was hanging in the bathroom.

"I'll... just go put my dress on so you can see it," Lucy murmured. Not that the other ladies were listening to her...especially Erza, who was already dividing the dresses into categorizing piles of who should try which dresses first. Erza's pile was by far the highest as she cooed and coveted almost every item.

 _Let's hope she leaves a few for Juvia and Levy._ She was glad she had the foresight to separate her own dress. Erza was a she-demon when it came to clothes.

She went to the bathroom and unzipped the black garment bag, the amethyst material spilling out a gorgeous deep purple dress that highlighted her blonde hair and brown eyes. She quickly rid herself of her regular clothes and stepped into the silk gown.

It was sleeveless, wrapping around her ample bust and squeezing her breasts together to give some serious cleavage. The dress was tight on the top, but the bottom flowed like a princess dress in a fairytale. The back of the dress hit the floor like a traditional ball gown, but the front had an asymmetrical cut from high on her right thigh to zigzag downwards to just above her left knee. Then the billowy dress dropped at a vertical angle down to the floor again. It was the perfect mix of elegant and risqué.

Lucy was no stranger to designer labels and elegant dresses. She had grown up exposed to ballroom dancing and whatnot. This was, however, by far the most extravagant thing she'd ever worn at Fairy Tail.

The sexy cut of the dress made her feel fun and flirtatious. While she regularly showed off her bust with a cleavage-baring top, she rarely wrapped them up in such a sinfully delicious material. Add the exposed, creamy legs that looked all the more appealing framed against the purple silk backdrop and she looked like sex on heels. Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it!

She giggled to herself for her perverse thought, hoping a certain ice mage would notice her efforts.

Holding her dress to knee-height, she went back to see how the other girls were doing.

Erza stood in the middle of her bedroom, decked out in a spectacular v-necked black dress with silver crystals sequined into flowers and leaves curling around her bust to her hips. The dress flared out and ended mid-thigh. She wore killer silver stilettos that made her legs look a mile long. Lucy's jaw dropped.

"You're totally gorgeous," Lucy said as she looked at the perfection that was Erza Scarlet.

"Thank you. I was going to try on some others, but I don't think I'll find one I like as much as this." Erza smoothed the dress from her stomach to her thighs, fingering the chiffon material at the hem.

"I think you're right. That dress fits you perfectly," she said honestly.

 _Maybe working out with Erza three times a week isn't such a bad idea. Especially if I can get her amazing figure._

Lucy eyes found Juvia next, who stood half-hidden and fidgeting near the closet in a bias-cut, floor-length, royal blue dress with a long slit up one thigh.

"That's a pretty dress but would you like to try on some different colours, Juvia?"

Lucy peered at her dress selection, mentally planning out which dresses she'd like to put on Juvia with a critical eye. She thought Juvia was gorgeous, but with her blue hair, blue eyes and a blue dress, she secretly thought the monochromatic look was doing a disservice to the pretty girl.

"Juvia doesn't enjoy bright colours," the water wizard said in her soft, hesitant voice. "Is this not a good choice?"

Juvia's bright eyes fixed on Lucy's brown ones. Lucy inwardly sighed. She didn't want to upset her friend. Truth be told, Juvia _was_ stunning in the royal blue dress. She knew her friend disliked parties and had probably settled on her signature colour as a means to feel more at ease around a group of strangers. It was the fashionista in Lucy that itched to break the water mage out of her shell and into bolder choices.

"You look beautiful," Lucy reassured her. Juvia didn't look convinced, so the blonde called for backup. "Doesn't she, Erza?"

Erza was busy having a 'mirror, mirror on the wall' moment with her own reflection, but she apparently got the answer she wanted. She gave a last satisfied smile to her own image, then turned to study Juvia. She circled around the water mage to see the dress from every angle.

"You look lovely," said Erza. Her voice was firm and unflinchingly honest.

Juvia seemed to grow more confident and she gave a small grin, a pink blush spreading across her snowy cheeks. "Juvia has yet to compliment Lucy-san's dress. It is very elegant."

Lucy thanked her but noticed Levy was sitting on the corner of her bed, despondently rejecting dress after dress that were piling higher and higher on the duvet.

"What's the matter, Levy? Can't find anything you like?" Lucy reached into the pile and started to sort through the dresses to see if she could help her best friend.

"I'm too short to wear any of these. They either hang below my knees or they're so long, I'm tripping over them," Levy said worriedly. "Plus...my chest!" She pointed downward to her small breasts.

"I can't get these dresses to zip up my back and hold me in properly! The party is in two hours, Lu-chan. What am I going to do?"

Lucy frowned, her expression trouble. Levy was right. There was no time to go shopping now and Lucy's dresses _were_ made for her sizable bust and taller height. She cursed herself for not thinking about that sooner. Of course, Levy could always fall back on an everyday dress she had downstairs at her own apartment, but she didn't own anything fancy.

Surely, Lucy had _something_ that could work...

Her eyes lit up as she thought of the perfect piece, "Wait, I think I may have something."

She couldn't give Levy a dress, but…

She pulled out a gold top that she hadn't worn in a few years. It was a halter top with a sweetheart neckline that hit Lucy mid-ass. It was the type of shirt she wore with leggings and had bought before she reached her ultimate bust-size. It was far too tight on her now.

It was ridiculously expensive, the type of flashy top she wore once, mixing the glamourous with the casual, and then had relegated to the back of her closet until now.

"Try this on," Lucy commanded, tossing it to Levy.

The bluenette's brow furrowed as she looked at the dress, but when she realized how tiny it was, she got a bit more enthusiastic. She threw off her orange dress to the corner of the room, sliding the pretty gold garment over her head, then tying it around her neck. She let the material fall in place, all of the women holding their breaths simultaneously as they waited to see the end result.

"That's perfect," Lucy breathed out, relieved.

The top-now-dress reached the middle of the bluenette's thighs. The halter top left her back exposed and the rich gold colour warmed up Levy's pale skin. The clingy material even enhanced her small breasts. Lucy pulled out a pale gold belt, latching it around her friend's tiny fairy waist. She looked almost angelic.

"You look wonderful, Levy." Erza moved aside to let Levy look at herself in the full-length mirror.

Levy's mouth dropped open and a flush lit up her face.

"Is that really me?" She blinked at her reflection in amazement, reaching out to touch the mirror with her fingertips in disbelief.

No one would ever guess the gold fabric she was wearing wasn't a dress designed especially for her. She usually hid her smaller bust in flowy, flapper-style dresses, but the cut of the halter top made it seem like she had a perfectly proportioned figure, small and delicate like a pixie.

Lucy laughed at her friend's shocked expression.

"Wait until we get you in high heels and make-up...and have Cancer do your hair!"

"Aye, sir! Let's do it!"

* * *

Gray wrapped a towel around his torso after his shower, whistling as he wandered into his bedroom to get ready. He pulled his suit from the closet, still wrapped in its dry cleaning bag and laid it out on his neatly made bed.

Gray preferred to keep his apartment tidy. Erza had even commented on how impressed she was with his place on her several unannounced visits. He swore she was like a parole officer – always popping by at weird times.

He went to his dresser, pulling out all four ties he owned, debating on which one to wear. He didn't mind getting dressed up, although it was kind of a nuisance to try to keep track of so many clothes.

Still, the more layers, it was the more likely he would be stopped _before_ he started flashing people.

With his luck, he'd end up flashing another granny clad only in his boxer briefs...or even less. The sight of his half-naked body made grannies faint right in front of him. Then he'd feel bad and out of pure guilt, he'd feel obligated to make sure they got home safely. These old women would always insist on feeding him tea and freshly baked cookies in their _sweltering_ apartments.

What was up with that anyway? Is it a law that grannies can't have working fans in the room?

And they never, _ever_ wanted him to use his ice-make magic to cool the place off – if he so much as suggested it, they would scold him about being a brat.

He'd just have to _sit there,_ trying to keep his clothes on, sweating profusely. He thought he was the perfect gentleman, but they always looked disappointed when he left.

Gray shook his head, leaving the train of thought behind. After all, there was a small glimmer of hope he could get through the night without flashing anyone...right?

He sighed heavily, admitting to himself that the chances were far greater that he would _definitely flash someone._

He tied his tie in a half-Windsor knot, then ran a comb through his hair. He was looking forward to tonight. Fairy Tail hadn't had a real party in a long time.

He was glad Lucy and Levy had suggested it. He liked the newest members of the guild. Both had interesting magic he hadn't seen before. He liked Levy's fiery personality, especially the way she dealt with Gajeel. Lucy might not be as outwardly spunky as a her best friend, but she was definitely no pushover.

Gray had been a little shocked when Natsu wanted the celestial wizard as a partner. Fireballs didn't normally pay any attention to girls, but Gray could see why he made an exception for Lucy. She was definitely cute. He had caught her staring at him more than once, usually when he lost his shirt.

A lot of the women at Fairy Tail stared at his chest – his odd stripping habit was equal parts a blessing and a curse. If he was out of town on a job, he certainly didn't lack pretty girls offering to 'show him the sights'...those sights usually being confined to a bedroom.

Not that he was complaining.

Gray found that he was declining more and more often, though.

He made it a point to be clear to any woman he'd potentially spend the night with exactly where any relationship with him was headed — nowhere.

He was choosy about who he spent his time with, but his former conquests would inevitably show up at Fairy Tail with the same expectant smile and a head full of romantic notions. They always daydreamed he was their white knight in shining armour and only their love could melt his icy heart. He blamed romantic novels they read and the one edition of Sorcerer Weekly he posed for...he wasn't naked, but the photograph cut off at his torso, making it look like he was.

Gray shook his head as the shuffled through the images of the women he had slept with who had shown up at the guildhall. He would inevitably to send them back on their way, usually in anger or in tears. He wasn't keen on hurting feelings, but he didn't like clingy women.

They all thought they'd be different. In the end, the conversations were always the same. He was tired of it.

He hadn't dated anyone within Fairy Tail. Not because he didn't find the women there beautiful. Mirajane sprang instantly to his mind, but he'd known her for too many years. Even though she was stunning and he was man enough to appreciate her model looks, he couldn't muster up one ounce of sexual attraction toward her. She and Lisanna were like sisters to him.

Cana was _sexy._ There was just no other word for her. That chestnut hair and those violet-eyes and a curvaceous body that was an invitation to sin. He knew she would be the least clingy woman ever, too. And from the whispered rumours going around the guildhall, she was very, _very_ skilled. He had considered going up to her to offer a one-night stand more than once – simply a no-strings-attached, pleasant evening. However, his timing had never worked out and he had resigned himself to thinking it was probably for the best if they just stayed friends.

Erza was a knockout, in every sense of the word. Drop dead gorgeous, but one wrong move, she'll drop you dead. He found himself chuckling at the thought.

Gray liked tough women. Women who were gutsy and unafraid to be themselves. He admired Erza's strength, which went far beyond her formidable requip magic. Erza was like a sword herself, sharp and deadly, honed to be the very best she could be. But she took herself far too seriously for a woman her age.

The thought sobered him up. He knew about Erza's childhood and the reasons that shaped her into the person she was today. It was one of the reasons he was glad Lucy and Levy suggested a party. He hadn't seen the redhead lighten up often, but Fun Erza was a sight to behold. It had been astute of Levy and Lucy to get the guild together for a celebration. The redhead liked to dress up, and she was a lot more boisterous with a few drinks in her on the odd occasion she let loose.

He could tell Lucy was interested in him, but she was definitely Serious Girlfriend Material. She seemed to have some fantasy ideas about romance. He wasn't sure if he was ready for anything like that, especially with a member of his own guild.

Still...it couldn't _hurt_ to get to know her a bit better.

* * *

Erza had brought a surprising array of cosmetics with her and had a deft, steady hand, and an excellent eye for colour coordination. Juvia and Levy hardly wore makeup and lacked confidence in their skills at applying it, so Erza did Juvia's makeup while Lucy did Levy's. Then Erza did Lucy's makeup and Lucy did Erza's.

Dressed, made up and perfumed, Lucy summoned Cancer, who styled each head of hair beautifully. After Cancer vanished, the girls were finally ready and raring to go.

Erza had rented a horse and carriage to take them to the party. They spent the half hour carriage ride chatting and taking taking turns admiring each other's hair, makeup, shoes, dresses and accessories. Even Juvia, the shyest of the group, started blossoming under the outpouring of praise.

But when they arrived at the castle walls and stepped out of the carriage, Juvia's newfound confidence faltered.

"Juvia doesn't enjoy crowds," she clutched Lucy's arm at the sight of so many guild members milling about.

"This is just the initial rush of people arriving," Lucy said gently, then wrapped an arm around Juvia's waist to steady her. Juvia was looking a bit green around the edges.

"Juvia does not want to go in – she will go back to her new apartment. Juvia fears she left the stove on," the water mage babbled.

"You only arrived yesterday. Since when did you have time to grocery shop and cook?" Levy asked suspiciously.

Juvia turned beet red at being caught in her obvious lie. Lucy was steering her toward the open castle doors where she could see even more people gathered inside. The water mage started hyperventilating.

"Perhaps Juvia can wait in the carriage until the party's over," she begged, twisting to try to get out of Lucy's hold. She struggled for a moment and then liquefied her body to fall as a puddle at Lucy's feet, only to re-materialize several feet away.

"Juvia! You promised you'd come with us!" Lucy cried, her voice desperate as she watched Juvia run away in blind panic.

Erza was standing closest to the horse and carriage. A dagger suddenly appeared in her hand and with a careful prick to the horse's flank, the animal brayed madly, rearing in fright and then stampeded off, the carriage driver clinging in desperation to the reins.

"It seems we have lost our means of transportation," Erza said mildly, sheathing the blade.

They heard the carriage driver screaming obscenities behind them, all directed toward the requip wizard.

The three girls stood with open mouths, staring at Erza for a long moment as she nonchalantly held her arm out, a brief glow surrounded the blade and then it disappeared back into the nether sphere. The requip wizard smoothed her dress back down and then looked up to see the other mages staring agape at her.

"What?" She asked mildly.

Instead of answering, Levy shook her head and rounded on Juvia.

"I spent _two hours_ getting ready for this party! I'm not about to turn around when I'm less than 50 feet away!"

She gestured to her coiffed hair in loose curls to her gold dress and 4-inch heels. She had never dreamed she could look like this. Even though Levy wasn't vain, she hated wasted effort. Besides, she had spent days planning this party. She was going inside, with or without the water mage.

Juvia cringed and stammered an apology when Erza joined the fray.

"Juvia, your friends have spent a considerable amount of time and effort on this party for the dragon slayers and to celebrate Lucy joining Team Natsu. Lucy has assured me there's strawberry cake inside. We _are_ attending this gathering." Erza's voice was threatening, daring anyone to stand between her and her beloved dessert.

"We'll be right there with you," said Lucy, soft-spoken and gentle. Juvia gave a tremulous smile.

Lucy interlocked arms with Juvia on one side. Levy took the water mage's other elbow and then the bookworm jutted out her left elbow and offered it to Erza. The requip mage joined the link and all four girls stood in a line, facing the mansion. Faint music could be heard coming from inside.

"Together?" Lucy asked.

"Together," Erza seconded, her voice like steel.

"Together!" Levy shouted like it was a rallying war cry, attracting stares.

Juvia looked faint. She wilted under the scrutiny of the others for a moment, but the encouraging smiles of the bluenette and the blonde, along with the grim determination of the redhead made her stand up a bit straighter.

"Juvia will try," she said tentatively.

She was all but dragged toward the open doors.

* * *

 _A/N_ – _Please don't worry I'm switching it to Graylu. Trust the story will unfold in a very Nalu way! Remember that Lucy has been crushing on Gray for 3.5 months and has only known Natsu for 2 weeks at this point. My interpretation of Lucy is that she won't give up her several-month crush just because she saw the next cute guy. I have to make her realize certain things (cracks knuckles, settles down to work). :D But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have some fun along the way! :)_

 _I have a lot of great friends here, but one I haven't mentioned before is Satyrykal. She writes Boiling Point. OMG guys. If you want to see how a pro does it, go read her story. I'm totally in love with her story and I'm proud as hell to call her my friend. Go check her out!_

 _Shout out to my reviewers! quite-a-riot, ShanaHollows, Celistastar, TheSkyMage, silver light of dawn, Bakers28, Satryrkal, JGio23, elorlan and stranger1999_ _ **(x3!) Wow!**_ _ **Thanks you guys! Please check your PMs! I always personally thank you guys for the chapter love, but FF might not have emailed you that notification!**_

 _Shout out to all you lovelies! Even if you're a quiet person who doesn't like to review, that's okay. Just know I'm super happy and grateful that you read my story._

 _ **Until next week, lots of love to you all! Some Gajeel POV next chapter, too (what can I say? I love that guy!)**_


	7. Chapter 7 - Dance

_Dedicating this chapter to Master Gildarts! Thank you for being one of my first reviewers and encouraging me to keep my Nalu game on point. :)_

 _And to all my fellow Gale shippers...to quote Sherlock, "The game is on!" Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Beta: xSteleAliniax_

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Dance**

The party was shaping up to be everything Lucy had hoped for. Once Juvia was inside, things went smoother for the water mage. The sheer vastness of the mansion meant there was plenty of room to spread out, and Erza commanded a certain amount of deferential respect. People greeted them by ones and twos, seeming to sense the newcomer was rather nervous and timid.

 _Or maybe it's the opposite and others are nervous and timid around 'The Titania.'_

That seemed a more likely explanation.

No matter the cause, Lucy could tell Juvia appreciated the effort, losing a bit of tension and starting to relax and make polite chitchat.

Wendy came over and the two blunettes seemed to have found kindred spirits in one another; although Lucy thought it would be impossible not to love Wendy. Both were shy and Wendy admitted she had found it difficult being the last dragon slayer to join Fairy Tail and the sole female one.

"Charle must've helped you adjust, she seems to be an excellent partner." Juvia gave a respectful bow to the white exceed.

"Charle has been wonderful," Wendy agreed happily, as she stroked the bundle of creamy white fur in her arms.

"For goodness sake, child, I haven't done anything but assure you of your own abilities," said Charle peevishly, but Lucy could see how pleased the white exceed was by Juvia's comment.

"Juvia, is it alright if I go check on the kitchen? I want to make sure everything is going well behind the scenes," Lucy asked.

Juvia was enjoying her conversation with Wendy, and Erza was chatting with Levy right beside her. She gave a hesitant nod.

"I shouldn't take long," Lucy told her, giving her arm a light squeeze as she passed by.

The grand ballroom was set up with two bars, one near the front entrance and one exiting to the back gardens, each with a pair of bartenders, who were doing brisk business.

Against the walls were buffets of food, from a huge selection of sushi on ice to a heated 'meat station' that Natsu had insisted on, with a large variety of flavoured chicken wings, including fire chicken, of course. Plus, there were short ribs and a huge beef tenderloin being sliced on a wooden cutting board next to the other meats. There was a separate pasta station where you could pick whatever pasta, meat, vegetables and sauce you wanted while the chef cooked it in front of you. Chicken satay, potstickers, shrimp rolls, and other appetizers were being circulated around by some of the unobtrusive waitstaff.

The pièces de résistance was a corner where several gorgeously decorated cakes stood. Lucy had asked each dragon slayer their preference: Laxus had chosen lemon chiffon cake, Wendy said she liked all cakes, but chose strawberry to be helpful in keeping up the pretense the party was for the slayers, while still getting Erza's favourite dessert to the bash.

Lucy had been surprised when she'd asked Natsu his preference. Given his appetite, she'd expected him to want a giant, multi-tiered, multi-flavoured cake. Instead, he said he didn't care much for sweets, but after being vetoed on fish cakes for Happy, said a small chili chocolate cake would suffice.

Gajeel was another surprise, asking for vanilla buttercream filled with clementines and kiwis. Pantherlily was fond of kiwis, apparently.

Each cake was a work of art, with spun sugar dragons and multi-coloured sugar flames. Gray had even created a spectacular ice dragon as the centerpiece around the cakes, each scale etched perfectly, the wings nestled close to its body, the dragon's tail curled protectively around the much-coveted-by-Erza strawberry cake.

Strung across the ceiling were thousands of soft white lights, looking like twinkling stars. The place looked amazing.

Lucy had shamelessly used every contact her father had in catering, decorating, music, lighting, florists, waitstaff and bartenders. Heartfilia Corp. spent hundreds of thousands of jewels each year on posh shindigs, enough so that Jude was able to secure a discount for his daughter's party. Having a free location meant her entire budget was spent on getting as much food, drink and decor as she possibly could.

Lucy was happy that everything seemed to be running like clockwork. The waitstaff and bartenders moved smoothly, lacking the harried expressions that would indicate to Lucy that they were understaffed.

Lucy moved at a hurried pace...until she almost collided into the side of someone.

"Natsu?" She gazed up at him in amazement. He was wearing a tuxedo — white button-up shirt crisply contrasting with the black jacket, tie and pants. His pink hair was striking against the black jacket. Natsu usually wore his black waistcoat with no shirt underneath, but seeing him formally dressed was something else. He looked...nice.

"You look great!" She blurted out with a smile. With her five-inch heels, she was eye-level with his mouth.

Natsu gave an easy grin. "Hey Lucy, you look…"

"Like you're missing the front of your dress," Happy interrupted, poking out from behind the fire wizard's shoulder. "What happened? Catch it on a nail or something?"

"This is fashionable, you stupid cat!"

"Could've fooled me…" Happy said dubiously as he looked at the purple dress. It looked all ripped and poofy at the front but almost normal at the back where it swept down to the floor.

"What would you know? You're a cat and you don't even wear clothes!"

"Don't get jealous that you don't have the body I do, Lucy," Happy sniffed haughtily, his voice full of mirth.

"You have got to be kidding me," she seethed.

Natsu piped up, "Happy, did you see Charle over there with Wendy?

"Charle is here?" Happy craned his neck to look around the room, his eyes lighting up when he found the white exceed with Wendy."I'll go say hi."

The blue exceed spread his wings to go but spared one last glance at Lucy.

"Try not to eat too much tonight, Lucy. I don't think that dress can take much more before you burst right out."

He flapped his wings and was flying away as she screeched at him.

"You're dead, cat!"

Happy's cackling laugh echoed back to her, not the least bit afraid of her wrath.

"That's Happy for you," Natsu shrugged.

Biting her lip, she looked down at herself, uncertainty crossing her features.

"Maybe the dress _is_ a little too much."

Although she didn't mind showing off her assets in her daily outfits, there was a distinct difference from wearing a short skirt and cotton crop top to wearing a silk extravaganza dress the billowed and shone in the muted, glossy glow of lights. She tugged the side of the dress forward, trying to cover up a bit more leg.

"Don't do that," Natsu said quietly.

"Do what?"

"Doubt yourself. Dress however you wanna dress. Other people's opinions shouldn't matter," he said with conviction. "Especially one coming from a naked blue fur ball."

She stopped yanking on the dress as she considered what he said. She let the material fall as it pleased, looking up at him. "You're right. Thanks, Natsu."

"No problem, Luce." His voice was gravelly and low, his eyes glinting like polished emeralds.

She wanted to ask him why he called her Luce. No one else ever did. She'd noticed it before, but had never questioned it. Not that she minded, not in the least. He drew the word 'Luce' out like it was one long note played on the piano, fading yet somehow still lingering in the air once the sound was gone.

"Did Gray come with you?" She heard herself asking. _Wait...what?_ She had no idea where that had come from.

Natsu gave her a speculative glance. She found herself fidgeting, tapping one foot anxiously as she laced her fingers together in front of her.

Natsu's eyes fell away from her face to study the rest of the room,"Haven't seen him," his tone was casual, but his eyes had dulled. His eyes flicked back to her and she felt a prickling hot sensation at the nape of her neck. Before she could even blink, he was talking again.

"Think I'll go grab some food."

"Uh...okay. See you later than." Her voice sounded strained to her own ears as she watched the fire mage walk away.

She might need a drink sooner than she thought.

 _What the hell was that?_

* * *

Lucy was surprised to find Juvia, Erza, Levy, Wendy, and Charle had been joined by several people.

The Strauss siblings, Laxus, Jet, and Droy had all joined the group. Lucy was momentarily worried that Juvia might feel overwhelmed by all the people around her, but relaxed when she saw the water mage laughing at something Mira said.

Lucy sauntered up, squeezing in beside Juvia since Jet and Droy were flanking Levy, as usual.

"Mira, Lisanna, you girls look gorgeous," Lucy said as she entered the circle, admiring Mira's tight red dress that showcased her model figure to perfection and Lisanna's snow leopard print mini-dress that seemed to catch the light and highlight Lisanna's huge blue eyes and silvery white hair.

Mira's jaw dropped as she looked at the celestial mage.

"Lucy, where have you been hiding that dress?"

"What? This old thing?" Lucy demurred, but the grin taking up half her face gave the game away. _Take that, you stupid cat! Women know!_

Mira scoffed and took both of Lucy's hands, holding her arms wide as she got a closer look at the amethyst dress, Lucy's pinned up hair and five-inch stilettos.

"You should take a modelling gig with me sometime at Sorcerer Weekly," she offered with a kind smile.

She was floored that Mira would consider her a good fit for the magazine. The silver haired beauty was the magazine's top model.

"Model _with_ you? I'd be honoured."

"We would have so much fun! I'll contact the magazine tomorrow and arrange it. I know everyone will just love you."

Lucy had been reading Sorcerer Weekly for years, dreaming of appearing in it one day. "Thank you, Mira. I promise I wouldn't let you down."

Mira laughed gaily, "We'll have a great time together."

The take-over mage looked around the crowded room and added, "I haven't seen so many of our guild members together in ages. The two of you did a fantastic job planning this party."

"And it's just getting started! Come on, let's dance!" Levy was already grabbing Lucy's arm and pulling her towards the dance floor.

* * *

Lucy was having so much fun. She danced in a group with Mira, Lisanna, Juvia, Wendy, Erza, and Levy; all of them kicking off their shoes to better show off their dance moves.

Cana soon came up to join them, showing some serious flexibility and bending her supple spine like it was an elastic band.

Lucy found herself getting lost in the music, twisting her body, lifting her hands to the pounding beats, her feet remembering old dancing lessons foisted on by her by her parents when she was young. She felt wild yet graceful at the same time, pouring all her energy dancing, feeling the same way she did as when she did her magic: that stolen feeling of euphoria heating up her skin.

She was surprised when Laxus took the floor with Erza, swing dancing with apparent skill. Erza had a huge smile on her face and even Laxus's usual arrogant smirk seemed to have diluted into something softer.

Laxus and Erza dominated the dance floor for three whole songs, but they were so skilled, anyone else would pale in comparison. Besides, Laxus was throwing and twisting Erza is such a way that it seemed a smart idea to give the pair a wide berth.

A slow song came on and the lightning slayer and the requip wizard broke apart, finding other dance partners. Vijeeter danced with Erza and Laxus danced with Mira.

Droy and Jet vied for Levy, but after a brief scuffle for the bluenette, Lucy was asked to dance.

She endured one painstakingly long dance with Jet – a penance for some terrible crime she must've committed in a former life, she had to assume. He barely moved and kept angling her so that he could stare with resentment at Droy, who was dancing loosely with Levy.

It was the longest three and a half minutes of her life to awkwardly stand there, pretending not to notice the man she was dancing with wanted to be with someone else. The second the song ended, she excused herself and went to grab a glass of water.

She downed the water in four large gulps, then noticed Cana at the bar, her ubiquitous beer barrel wedged between her legs, causing her sleek black dress to ride up to an alarming degree.

"Uh, Cana? That beer barrel is…" she paused to try to phrase it properly, "about to give everyone a view of your panties."

 _Subtle, Lucy. Real subtle._

Cana glanced down and smirked. "What can I say? I love the feel of wood between my thighs!"

"Er...okay, just thought you might want to ride sidesaddle this round."

Cana shrugged but hopped off the chair she was perched on, one careful hand tugging down her dress, the other hugging the keg to her chest. She sucked down the rest of the keg and sat the empty barrel on the floor.

"Better?" Cana raised one eyebrow.

"Much better," the blonde agreed wholeheartedly.

Lucy was impressed at how steady Cana stayed on her feet in gladiator heels. Lucy turned to order a strawberry daiquiri from the bartender. She was watching him mix her drink in the blender when she suddenly felt her left breast being squeezed.

"Cana!" She slapped the roaming hand away.

"So soft," Cana moaned, her hand reaching for the other breast. Lucy deftly stepped out of reach. Cana pouted at her.

"I need to compare them!" Cana protested, her hand stretching out again.

"You do not!" Lucy swatted the hand away.

The card mage kept lunging with one hand or the other for her breasts, Lucy kept hitting them away like she was volleying back tennis balls. After a few fruitless attempts, the brunette gave up.

"Spoilsport." Cana stuck out her tongue. Lucy rolled her eyes at her.

The bartender placed Lucy's drink in front of her, complete with a strawberry hanging on the rim and his name and address on the napkin.

Lucy didn't even notice the napkin, she was too busy keeping a warning eye on Cana as she picked up the drink and took a sip. Nodding her thanks to the bartender, she turned her full attention back to the card mage.

"Come on, Cana! Join our table and teach me some of those fantastic dance moves of yours."

"If I teach you to dance, do I get to squeeze the other boob?" Cana pleaded with huge puppy dog eyes.

"I promised myself I wouldn't get drunk tonight, but _if_ I do, why not?"

Cana's eyes glowed and a smug smile played at the corners of her mouth.

"Did you just challenge _me_ to get _you_ drunk?"

Lucy shrugged, tilting her head to the side, considering. "I guess I did, but I promise I won't make it easy for you. This is my first drink and I'm going to savour it."

Cana's face lit up like a beacon. "You're on, blondie."

* * *

Gajeel Redfox was not enjoying himself. At all.

First off, he wasn't able to find his beloved guitar to bring to the party. He had been counting on shredding some sweet-ass tunes to thrill a little bookworm, confident that Levy would practically throw herself at him after he performed. What can he say? Girls love a rockstar.

Second, he needed Wendy to help him with his motion sickness. He'd planned to walk to the party but ended up taking way too long searching his house upside down for his errant guitar, and had ended up needing to rent a carriage.

Third, he had been debating about even coming to this party. He had avoided the guild like the vanilla-scented plague it was for the past two weeks, just so he wouldn't run into _her_.

Gajeel Redfox was not a man prone to flights of fancy or daydreams, unless those dreams involved cracking skulls and looking like a badass doing it: all things based on his everyday life.

Every once in awhile, he'd devise a new way to punch someone's lights out, but Pantherlily had told him that was called 'strategizing'.

But here he was – dressed to the nines in his pressed white suit, white fedora and red tie.

He hated dressing up, finding the suit jacket itchy, the tie constrictive against his windpipe, and the wing-tipped shoes pinched his toes. He missed his fingerless gloves, his leather cuffs and especially his boots.

At least he had a great hat.

The past two weeks had been difficult for Gajeel, vacillating between wanting to see the bluenette and wanting to avoid her completely.

No matter what he did—work, fight with Natsu, sleep, eat, fight with Gray, practice the guitar (not that he needed practice, he was naturally gifted), workout, hang with Pantherlily, fight with Natsu some more (the moron just kept coming back for second helpings)—it was all meaningless. Reality lost its appeal and he found himself getting lost with alarming frequency in fantasies about Levy.

It was like a scab he couldn't stop picking at, the tongue running over the loose tooth.

He knew he should leave well enough alone, but it became a part of him, the itch he couldn't scratch.

He had finally decided to come to the party, knowing Levy was probably in an equal state of frenzy having not seen him for two whole weeks. In a way, it was him granting her a small mercy, to finally be in the same room again with the great Gajeel Redfox. Who was he to deny her that pleasure? He wasn't a monster.

He figured he would see Levy sitting with her friends, maybe watching them dance with other men and he would swoop in, offering his arm – and maybe a few other parts of himself later if she got lucky.

He had pictured her eyes glowing with gratitude that some guy had finally noticed her, and then they'd hit the dance floor, their bodies swaying in time to the music. He had planned it down to the last vivid detail.

How very wrong he was.

The moment he had arrived, he found her scent on the dance floor with enough people crowding around her that he couldn't even see the little shrimp. But he smelled her and he could see Jet and Droy circling like great white sharks. Their interest in Levy was palpable. He started gagging. If there was anything more vile than the combination of Jet's flop sweat and Droy's rotten vegetation arousal, he had yet to find it.

The smell was so bad he ran outside, dry-heaving into some bushes. When his stomach stopped churning, he pinched his nostrils shut and growled as he went back inside. He needed several shots of vodka before he could even tolerate being in the same room with those greasy assholes.

Then the bluenette stepped away from the crowd, mini dress of gold foil barely covering her luscious ass, heels upping her height, some sort of floral perfume with a spicy undertone short circuiting his brain. Her vanilla buttercream and fresh oranges scent even better than he'd remembered it. His knees went weak for a moment.

He kept to the sidelines, sipping straight vodka and biting off the head of any who dared approach him, watching the solid script wizard dance, laugh, and drink with their guild mates.

Jet and Droy clung to her like ivy. If she stood, they stood. They brought her drinks and toasted with her. Everytime she seemed to like a song, they asked her to dance.

Max and Vijeeter joined Levy's table. Levy was their center of attention at all times. They doted on her and hung off every word she said. Gajeel seethed as the bookworm took turns gliding around the dancefloor with each of the four men.

He could see their sweaty hands on her arm, her waist, the small of her back—her entire back was exposed thanks to the cut of her dress. Gajeel caught himself staring for long moments at the curvature of her spine, the white Fairy Tail guild mark on her silken shoulder blade. When a bead of sweat fell from her cheek to her neck, he almost envied it being so close to her skin.

His earlier fantasies of Levy being alone and grateful for his company faded like a hazy forgotten dream, intangible and not worth the effort of remembering. But these other men were fast becoming magnified in sharp, crystallized focus. Pawing at her, smiling with her, telling jokes that made her laugh and smearing their foul stench all over her.

Gajeel cracked his knuckles, spoiling for a fight. Maybe he'd throw a few—or all—of these pansy-ass weaklings against a few walls and test how well Freed's runes actually worked.

Before he could move, Lucy appeared before him.

"Whatcha want, blondie?" he barked, not caring how rude he sounded.

Lucy was jittery as a virgin on prom night, decked out in some weird purple dress that was somehow both trashy and elegant, yet suited the bunny girl to a T. Lots of tits and lots of leg showing.

Under normal circumstances, he'd be hitting on her like there was no tomorrow, but even with her glorious breasts all bound and trussed up in front of him—creamy orbs of sinful delight—he couldn't be bothered to spare them more than a hearty glance.

"Hey, quit looking at my boobs, pervert!"

"Gi-hi-hi-hi." It was the first laugh or even smile he had all night.

"Bunny girl, if you don't want men to look, you shouldn't be passing those things around buffet-style."

Lucy's eye twitched and her right leg hitched up, ready to Lucy-kick this jackass straight through a plate glass window. Then she caught sight of the possessive look he was sending over her shoulder. She turned to follow his gaze to her table, where a fairy ring of men clamoured around her best friend.

 _Chalk another one up for Levy._

She didn't begrudge Levy any of these men—especially Gajeel because quite frankly he scared the bejeezus out of her—but where were _her_ suitors? Where were the hordes of men vying for a dance or a chance to amuse her?

 _It's not meant to be, I guess._

She suddenly felt sad and despondent. Her face fell as she contemplated her inevitable spiral into spinsterhood. Obesity and feline ownership seemed unavoidable. Her hand brushed up against her gate keys, wanting to summon Plue just so she could hug someone.

Cana slipped beside her in her moment of weakness, handing her a shot glass of pink liquid. Without even thinking about it, she tipped it down her throat. Cana's triumphant smile clued her in.

"Cana!" Lucy screamed in horror, almost dropping the shot glass to the ground.

She frantically rushed to put the shot glass down at the nearest table, as if getting rid of the evidence would also get rid her of the liquor inside her body. She took two steps towards Cana, then swirled back to the table, her hand stopping just short of retrieving her shot glass. What for, Gajeel had no idea. She turned back to them, taking a skittish step forward. Then she halted, wide-eyed and indecisive. Watching her prance around was making him dizzy.

"Oh cool it, bunny. There was barely any alcohol in that shot," Gajeel tapped the side of his nose, "I would know."

"There wasn't?" Lucy and Cana exclaimed in unison; Lucy with obvious relief, Cana sounding disgruntled and frustrated.

"Excuse me, I have to have a talk with an idiotic bartender," Cana huffed, striding away so fast that Gajeel felt a wind current at her rapid departure.

Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at the celestial wizard.

"So...what do you want, bunny?"

"Do you call everyone pet names? I'm a bunny, Levy's a shrimp. What's Erza?"

"A pain in the ass, mostly," he replied, his voice tart and honest.

Lucy laughed at that.

"I just wanted to thank you for getting us this place. It's idyllic."

"Yeah, you're welcome," Gajeel snapped, distracted by Levy getting up again to dance with Max. A fast paced song, thank Mavis.

"Are you not having a good time?" Lucy guessed shrewdly, following his line of sight.

"I'm having a _great_ time," he muttered back, the sarcasm so thick it was gelatinous. He unabashedly stared as Vijeeter, Droy and Jet followed Max and Levy onto the dance floor.

Vijeeter was the only one bothering to dance of the three of them. Droy and Jet shuffled their feet at random times, not paying the least bit of attention to the music. They stared transfixed at the solid script mage, who twisted like a golden pixie in front of Max. Gajeel could almost see the drool dribbling down Jet and Droy's soon-to-be-broken jaws.

Gajeel swallowed the rest of the vodka, then crushed his glass in a clenched fist. He opened his palm and released a small pile of glass dust to the floor.

A frightened squeak alerted him to Lucy watching him. She was backing away rapidly, her eyes wide with terror.

"Thanks again, Gajeel. I...I..." Lucy stammered, trying hard to run away without it looking as though she was running away...and failing miserably. "I better go check on my friend, Juvia. And make sure Natsu hasn't eaten all the food."

Lucy spied the pink-haired man by the meat station, piling an insane amount of food on his towering plate.

"Natsu! You don't need to take that much! You can keep coming back for seconds," Lucy's voice faded as she crossed the room to the fire mage.

Gajeel saw Levy leaving the ballroom, none of her stupid entourage trailing after her for the first time all night.

He moved like a shadow and followed her.

* * *

 ** _A/N - A huge thank you to my brilliant friend, quite-a-riot for giving me a shout out on her story, Passive Aggressive Post Its. I was overwhelmed with love, happiness and the type of fangirl screaming typically only heard inside a Taylor Swift concert. You're amazing!_**

 ** _Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter begins with Levy's POV!_**

 ** _It was my Birthday last week on Feb. 28. I mention this because my amazing friend wrote me a fic! Can you believe that? Satyrykal wrote The Edge, a Fairy Tail Nalu fic with a Beauty and the Beast twist. Which is pretty much one of the nicest presents I have ever received. Thank you a million times, Satyrykal!_**

 ** _As I was trying to figure out how I would ever repay her kindness, I ended up writing a fic for her, too. It's called If The Shoe Fits, which is Fairy Tail Nalu with a Cinderella-theme._**

 ** _Synopsis_ _\- Lucy is tired of being a slave to her step-mother and step-sisters, who mockingly call her "Cinderella" because she can't feel heat — not from the sun or hearth or boiling water. Then one day she meets the Prince and learns that fire comes in all sorts of different forms. Rated M._**

 ** _If that sounds like your cup of tea, please go check it out! I wrote it in a day (and then spent another day finding all sort of spelling and grammatical errors). Good writing is good editing, I always say. (I have never said that, but it's actually true, at least in my case. Probably other people aren't as rubbish at getting things right as I am.) I'm really excited about it and hope you guys will be, too!_**

 ** _Please feel free to leave suggestions and constructive criticism to either story! I love to hear from you guys!_ _Please follow, favourite and review!_**

 ** _Shout outs to my wonderful reviewers! stranger1999, Celistastar, Satyrykal, BeachBumBabe, Bakers28, ShanaHollows, Master Gildarts, Trifan, and silver light of dawn. Thank you all so much! x_**


	8. Chapter 8 - Confrontation

_This chapter is dedicated to my friend, quite-a-riot. I used only the best words. :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Confrontation**

Levy couldn't remember the last time she had danced for so long. Jet and Droy were being total sweethearts and bringing her drinks, most of them water. Still, she had indulged a little and now had a nice buzz going. As she was dancing with Vijeeter, she looked over to see Juvia, Lucy, Mira, Cana and Erza all on the opposite end of dance floor, the girls all smiling and laughing together. She was glad everyone was having as good a time as she was.

When the song ended, she went back to her table and told the boys she needed to go to the bathroom. Jet offered to get a fresh piña colada for when she returned so they could toast to a new mission Team Shadow Gear was going on in two days.

Inside the bathroom, she relieved her aching bladder. While washing her hands, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She wasn't used to seeing herself with any makeup on, but she had to admit that the smoky eyeshadow with the black liquid winged liner made her eyes look pretty. Her headband-free hair had stayed in place remarkably well considering how hard she'd been dancing; it hadn't gotten into her eyes once. Cancer knew his stuff. She pulled a soft curl forward a bit so that it rested on her temple, just outside of her peripheral vision.

She had snuck her plain brown purse past Lucy, knowing the celestial mage would have a conniption fit about it not matching her gold dress whatsoever. She opened her purse and reapplied the pale peach lipstick Lucy had given her for tonight, her eyes fluttering down to the two books she had stashed in her bag.

She had brought them for emergency purposes only.

She stared at herself in the mirror, having a stern, mental conversation with herself about not opening them. Once she did, she'd be lost. But they looked so interesting. Biting her lip, she reminded herself that a gracious host doesn't disappear and hole up in a bathroom reading for several hours. She snapped her bag shut on the temptatious, beckoning books and hefted her purse strap over her shoulder.

She exited the washroom and started walking back to the party, only to find Gajeel Redfox in the spacious foyer, leaning against a marble staircase.

"Are you following me?" She eyed him with suspicion.

He let out an exasperated, huffy breath.

"Nope."

She didn't believe him. There was no other reason to be in this area unless it was to use the bathroom, and the three nearest ones were all down vast hallways, two to the left where she had just came from, and one to the right and behind Gajeel. Levy knew the layout of the entire house. The staircase he was propped against was spelled at the top by Freed, cutting anyone off from the upstairs bedrooms, private studies, and (worst luck for her) the library.

"Then why are you here?" Levy asked.

Gajeel ignored her question and instead said, "You never thanked me for finding this place, you know."

"How could I _thank you_ when this is the first time I've seen you in two weeks and you literally just accosted me outside of the bathroom?" Levy snapped.

"Gi-hi-hi-hi! You got quite the temper for a little shrimp. Anyone ever told you that?"

"No," she said, her voice falling flat.

It was the truth. Under normal circumstances, Levy was calm and clear-headed, but something about the iron dragon slayer made her blood boil. She tilted her head and tried to use Levy Logic to explain why this brute got under her skin so easily.

"Of course, not everyone calls me 'shrimp' so maybe if you stop doing that, I won't get mad at you anymore." She offered, extending the olive branch of peace.

Only to have it thwack back into her face.

"Nah," he smirked down at her.

Levy felt her fists tighten and she had to bite back the angry retort that was on her tongue. Why was she out here missing the party to argue with some idiot slayer? She didn't need this. Giving a derisive sniff, nose in the air, she started to storm past him, but Gajeel grabbed her elbow and spun her back around to face him.

"Who said you could put your hands on me?" She pried his meaty hook off her arm, her voice like acid.

"Gi-hi-hi-hi!" His laugh was forced and had no humour behind it. "That's a good one! You're getting your panties in a twist because I put a hand on your _elbow_?"

"Yes!" She shrieked. "I don't appreciate being manhandled by some big ape dragon slayer, so just go to hell!"

She spun on her heel and marched away, but she didn't get more than three steps before he appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

"That's so rich coming from you." Gajeel glowered, his face a molten red.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Her voice was so loud it echoed within the room.

Gajeel had come close enough that he could see gold sparks crackling in her caramel eyes.

"You! That's what I'm talking about! I _saw_ you talking with those guys, ya know."

"I was _talking_ with people?" Wide-eyed, she gasped in mock horror, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh no! Where should I go first to confess my crimes, the police station or a church?"

 _The little shrimp was making fun of him!_

Gajeel was frustrated beyond tolerance, both fists knotted against his temples, knocking his white fedora askew.

"You had four guys hanging all over you!"

" _And?_ I'm not entitled to have a good time along with everybody else? What is your problem, Gajeel?"

She raised herself on the tips of her toes, craning her neck as she stared up at him. He lowered his head, bending forward, his eyes crimson red and furious, their noses almost touching.

He lifted his closed fist and started a tally: "Jet", one finger went up. "Droy," his middle finger shot up. "Vijeeter," the third digit followed. "Max," he finished with his pinky finger. It was reminiscent of when she had corrected his grammar the first time they'd met, which nettled her further.

"What about Jet, Droy, Vijeeter and Max?" She asked in a mocking tone, hands splayed on her hips.

"You danced with all of them!" he spat out, like listing her dance partners was supposed to prove some sort of point.

"Are you my father? What business is it of yours with _whom_ I dance?" She stressed the word _whom_ to show even tipsy Levy was far smarter than this numbskull could ever hope to be.

Counting on fingers! That was her thing! If Iron Supplement wasn't doing basic math, he shouldn't be holding up his fingers at all.

"I'm just saying, you seem to have a big problem with me touching a measly elbow when you let those fuckers put their hands all over you!"

"All _over_ me?" she asked, arching one incredulous eyebrow, her brown eyes gone black with rage.

"Yes! All those men were touching you!"

"So what? Do you want to dust me off for fingerprints?" Levy spun around, showing him her exposed back and shapely ass.

She looked over her shoulder at him, eyes bright and snapping. "Those men asked me to dance and I said yes!"

She swirled back around to face him, poking him in the chest and almost spitting out the words. "Not one of them touched me without my consent! You just grabbed me by the arm and started picking a fight with me!"

She felt hot tears building up, but she didn't know or understand where they were coming from, which only increased her anger.

"I'm not picking a fight with you!" Gajeel roared.

But he was and they both knew it. Neither of them could say why, though.

"You've been drinking, too!" he accused.

Levy felt the tears pressing into the corners of her eyeballs, a lump formed in her throat, and her desire to get away from this awful man increased every second.

"Overdoing it, ain'tcha?" he added, deliberately using the word he knew she hated.

Levy's eyes instantly dried up _. He was baiting her!_ She didn't know why, but damned if she was going to fall for it. She straightened her shoulders and fixed the iron dragon slayer with a withering glance of pure hatred.

"I was having fun just like everyone else, until you came along. _Thank you so much_ for the lovely mansion, Gajeel," her voice dripped sarcasm. "I guess I don't need to ask how you got the owner to agree to lend it to you. Or what sort of favour Freed owed you."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Gajeel hissed.

"I mean that's how you get what you want, isn't it? Threats? Intimidation?"

The truth of that statement rattled him. He wasn't like that now, but it was obvious his prior reputation had preceded him.

"Just so you know, _Shrimp_ , I went on a job for the owner. One of his mines caved in and it took me five days to clear the rubble."

Levy lost a bit of her heat at his words, but wasn't about to back down. "Oh? And how about Freed, are you telling me you didn't intimidate him into using his runes?"

"He most definitely did not." The voice cut through like glass, shattering their heated exchange.

Both of them turned their heads to find Freed standing not five paces away. The rune mage glided up to them. He wore a crushed red velvet suit with a white cravat at his neck and a white rose in the lapel. Two pieces of his long green hair jutted up at the crown of his head into lightning bolts, seeming to strike his skull from either side as if he was about to be hairlectrocuted.

"Gajeel and I have a gentleman's agreement."

"Gajeel is no gentleman," Levy said hotly, spinning away and fleeing back to the party as if being chased by wildfire. Gajeel narrowed his eyes, glaring after her, seething.

Freed Justine watched the tiny blue-haired girl sprint away and then looked at the iron dragon slayer with pity.

"Well, she's certainly right about that."

* * *

Mira looked up to see Levy McGarden rejoin their group. Levy pulled out a chair, her face waxen in the dim lighting, her mouth a tight slash.

"Levy! We were just about to go swimming. Want to join us?" Mira gestured to Erza, Juvia, Lucy, Jet, Droy, Max, Vijeeter, Natsu, and Wendy who had all conglomerated around Levy's old table.

"I didn't bring my swimsuit," Levy answered tersely. That raised eyebrows amongst the group. Levy wasn't known for being quick-tempered.

"I have bought swimsuits for everyone," Erza said, blindly not reading the atmosphere in the room as she pulled out an enormous army-green duffel bag with orange handles. Never let it be said that Erza Scarlet wasn't prepared for anything.

Lucy studied her best friend's face and said, "Why don't you guys go on without us? We might catch up later."

"Juvia should stay, too," Juvia offered.

"Nonsense. You were just saying you would help me improve my butterfly stroke. Lucy and Levy will join us soon," Erza declared, her voice firm.

Lucy fervently hoped that the redhead would not request Juvia create a riptide in the middle of the swimming pool. Erza had been drinking quite a bit and was getting extra bossy, but she tended to forget what she said almost instantly if she was distracted.

 _And the entire guild seemed to have brokered a silent agreement among them to keep her_ _ **very**_ _distracted and happy._

Lucy didn't want to bring Erza into a serious discussion during her own party. Whatever was going on with Levy, she would figure it out. Her eyes pleaded with Juvia to give them a minute. Juvia looked undecided for an instant, then respectfully nodded back to her friend.

Not everyone was as astute as Juvia Lockser, though.

"You know what? I forgot that I haven't eaten yet. Maybe I'll go do that," Droy replied, going to grab a plate at the sushi buffet.

Jet was quick to jump on the bandwagon.

"Me either, I might join you guys later." He followed Droy to the food.

"If we got the choice of swimming or eating, I'm staying, too!" Natsu declared.

"Natsu, you've had four plates of food already. How can you still be hungry?" Lucy asked.

"Dunno. Just am. See ya later, Luce!" He made a beeline for the meat station. He stopped a waitress who was carrying a tray of crab cakes and took the entire tray from her, much to the waitress's surprise and Lucy's chagrin. He enthusiastically called Happy over to share, the blue cat grabbing the tray from his partner, swooping high into the air. Natsu snagged a huge plate of fire chicken and an entire bottle of hot sauce from the side of the buffet station.

Seeing the group breaking off into sections, but none of them granting Lucy the privacy she desired, she started looking around for a quiet space to talk.

Levy glowered at the blonde celestial mage, as if sensing her thoughts. The solid script mage defiantly sucked back her piña colada, her body trembling with suppressed rage.

"If you want to help me, Lu-chan, you'll come do a shot with me," Levy said. Then, as if in afterthought, "You can come too, Cana."

Lucy spun around and to her utter dismay, the card mage stood smirking right behind her.

"You're really going to take advantage of this?" Lucy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yup." Cana purred, a wicked gleam dancing in her violet eyes.

Lucy heaved a deep sigh that did wondrous things to her cleavage. Cana twisted her hands together to stop herself from attempting a grab on the celestial mage right then.

 _Patience was a virtue_ , she reminded herself. Her prescient abilities were a mere bonus.

" _Fine,"_ Lucy gave a defeated sigh. "Let's go do some shots."

Cana gave a whoop of excitement, but Levy's hard, glinted expression contained nothing but fury. Lucy noted the absence of a certain iron dragon slayer and didn't take long to put two and two together.

Cana led them to the bar nearest the back door, where the bartenders recognized her and started lugging out a beer barrel at her approach. She shook her head.

"Not right now, boys! We need some shots." Cana turned her head to look back at Levy's grim expression and Lucy's one of trepidation.

"Lots of shots," Levy agreed, standing close to the card mage.

In that instant, Cana Alberona thought she might have fallen in love with Levy McGarden.

Lucy was beginning to suspect Juvia had the right idea about not wanting to come to this party. Instead of coercing Juvia to come inside, why hadn't she helped her escape?

 _Take me with you!_ She mentally called to the water mage, hoping she would telepathically hear her from the swimming pool and come save her.

She twisted her head around to see if her mental prowess worked. No such luck.

The backlit lights of the glass bar shelves fell across Levy's face, a blue glow highlighting her features. The expression there stopped Lucy in her tracks. She had assumed it was bad, but until she saw Levy's face in better lighting, she didn't realize exactly _how_ bad it was.

Lucy could see her best friend's eyes glistening with unshed tears, her face blotchy pink, and the tightness around her jaw. Whatever had happened between Levy and the iron dragon slayer, it had affected the tiny girl deeply.

Lucy wrapped one arm around her best friend's waist. Whatever Levy needed, she was there. Nine shots appeared before them, three red, three blue, and three green.

"Let's do this!" If Lucy's voice cracked a bit with fear, the card mage and the solid script mage were too preoccupied to notice.

"To Team Shadow Gear?" The blonde suggested for the toast; it seemed innocuous enough. She selected the red shot at random.

"Aye, sir. To Team Shadow Gear!" Cana raised her red shot. They both stood and waited for Levy.

"To Team Shadow Gear," Levy agreed, blinking back the tears that had threatened to escape, she picked up her shot glass and clinked rims with her two friends.

The three of them swallowed the shot. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut as she tipped it back, knowing Cana wouldn't make the same mistake twice by giving her something that wasn't pure alcohol. The shot tasted like cinnamon. For some reason, it reminded her of Natsu. It wasn't half-bad, in Lucy's opinion.

The blue shot followed (Levy suggested they cheers to Team Natsu). It was Lucy's favourite so far, tasting like fruit juice and coconut.

The green shot was another creature altogether. Cana suggested they drink "to their collective hotness."

When the liquorice-flavoured third shot was poured down her throat, Lucy knew she was in trouble. Her face scrunched up and she felt heat flooding her cheeks. _Vile._ With her guts roiling, she signalled she needed to stop. She leaned against the bar for several strained breaths, willing the liquor to stay down. After a minute or so, the alcohol complied, spreading glowing warmth throughout her body.

Lucy gave a slight smile to show she was okay. Cana took full advantage, letting her hand hover above Lucy's right breast.

"Now?" The card mage asked.

"Do it." Lucy sulked, looking away. She endured the groping with as much enthusiasm as she would from a full body cavity search, which wasn't far off from what Cana was doing. The card mage's hands thorough yet lingering all at once.

"They're so _big_ …" Cana sighed, testing the weight of both them in her two cupped hands.

"I'm aware." It's not like she didn't have to buy bras for these things. Insanely expensive bras, given her cup size.

"They're way firmer than what I was expecting," Cana breathed, giving a reluctant final squeeze when Lucy's right eye twitched.

Quitting while she was ahead had never been the card wizard's motto, but given Lucy's peeved expression, she thought it might be best to adapt it now.

Cana dropped her hands, tapping the trio of shot glasses to indicate she wanted another round—they wouldn't go to waste.

The bartenders had been staring slack-jawed at the gorgeous blonde being felt up by the svelte brunette. The bartenders exchanged glances. _Best tip of the night,_ they both agreed.

They were quick to comply and soon nine more shots were in front of the group, only this time the shots were coloured milky white, a burnt orange and a sinister clear shot that Lucy just _knew_ was lying in wait to send her straight to Barf City.

She pointedly ignored the line of shot glasses and the salivating bartenders.

"They're boobs, Cana. You and Levy have them, too." Lucy grimaced at what she just said, knowing Levy was sensitive about her bust size. But the blunette was too caught up replaying her conversation with Gajeel in her mind to hear her.

"Were you talking to me? I spaced out for a minute," Levy said in a small, sad voice. Lucy hugged her again.

Cana knew every single degree of drunkenness, from slightly tipsy to blackout oblivion. She could see Levy was on the borderline between being able to forget whatever was bothering her and sad, weepy drunk. Not that Cana wouldn't hesitate to be there for her friends either way, but she knew she would prefer to party. She studied Levy's flushed expression. Maybe she could tip the odds in her favour. She had just the secret weapon at her disposal to make it happen, too.

"Do you want to do some more shots?" Cana offered in a singsong voice. She gently wiggled the shot glass back and forth in what she assumed was a come-hither manner. She wasn't sure, since she had never needed enticement to drink. Ever. She guessed she wasn't doing it right, since Levy and Lucy both shook their heads. Shrugging, Cana took the shot for herself.

This wasn't shaping up to be the party Lucy had hoped for, although to be fair, Erza did seem to be having a good time. Still, she had only danced with the girls. Aside from the regrettable, never-to-be-repeated encounter with Jet, no other guys had asked her to dance.

She'd been cajoled into drinking more than was probably advisable, fondled by Cana, frightened by Gajeel, and her best friend had obviously just had a run-in with the very same man. Lucy could take most of it, but seeing Levy upset tore her heart out.

"Do you want to go someplace to talk?" Lucy asked.

"Honestly, Lu-chan, I just want to forget about the whole thing. Maybe we can dance?" Levy suggested.

As if conjured, Jet and Droy were suddenly right beside them.

"Do you want to dance, Levy?" They asked simultaneously, jockeying for position with nudged elbows.

 _Oh no, not this again. I am_ _ **not**_ _going to be sloppy seconds for Jet and Droy!_ Lucy crossed her arms over her chest.

A hand tapped her shoulder and she turned her head.

"Do you want to dance?" Gray _Fucking_ Fullbuster was asking her.

This night might not turn out so bad after all.

* * *

 _Beta: xSteleAliniax_

* * *

 _ **A/N - I hope you guys liked this chapter!**_

 _ **A million thanks to my reviewers from last week! Satyrykal, silver light of dawn, AzmariaMinochi, ShanaHollows, MasterGildarts, Celistastar, Bakers28, Trifan, and stranger1999!**_

 _ **I also want to thank all of you who read my second story, If The Shoe Fits. The story was entirely inspired by being friends with Satyrykal and thinking she's amazing (she really is, and Boiling Point and her latest story, The Edge are beautifully written with her unparalleled style that I honestly love. If you check her out, you may fall in love, too!)**_

 _ **You guys are wonderfully supportive and probably totally forgive me for ending on a bit of a Graylu note this chapter, right? (Looks around nervously.) Love to you all!**_

 _ **Please favourite, follow and review!**_


	9. Chapter 9 - Gray

**_Satyrykal graciously edited this chapter; her gifts surpass my own, but she lent me her wisdom because she's incredibly nice along with being extraordinarily talented. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!_**

 ** _Satyrykal writes Boiling Point and The Edge, both of which are astounding. She's building amazing Nalu stories here. Please check her out!_**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Gray**

"Do you want to dance?" Gray Fullbuster was asking her.

"Yes," said Lucy, since it was the only possible answer she would probably ever give Gray.

Do you want to dance? _Yes._

Do you want to go on a date with me? _Yes._

Do you never, ever, ever want me to find my shirt again? _Sweet Mavis, yes._

Do you want to get married and have thirty-three of my babies? _Yes_.

Wait, scratch that last one.

Or just change it to a _maybe_. Most likely. The number of babies was negotiable.

 _Lucy Heartfilia, you have got it bad,_ she chastised herself.

She followed Gray onto the dance floor, noting that he was, in fact, fully dressed. She nibbled her bottom lip in slight disappointment.

The lights of the dance floor fell in rotating beams of colour: pink, blue, yellow, purple, red, green. It made it hard for Lucy to tell the exact shade of Gray's suit. A dark hue, but she didn't think it was black...perhaps navy or charcoal.

When he found a suitable spot where the two of them would have room to move, he turned to face her. He was wearing a light blue buttoned up shirt and an indigo and silvery grey striped tie. His hair was still spiky, but done a bit more artfully, as though he'd spent extra time on it. She looked up into his glinting sapphire eyes and he gave her a hitched up smile, offering his hand.

Her heart gave a nervous thump as she took it, afraid her palm might be sweaty. His cool hand clasped hers, his grip firm but not overpowering. Her fingers curled and she returned the pressure to show she was ready.

His other hand came to her waist, just underneath her rib cage; hers went to his chest, above his pectoral to where she knew his guild mark was hidden. It took supreme effort not to claw at the soft material like a cat flexing its paws, but she managed to keep a hold of herself...mainly because he started to move.

 _Sweet Mavis, he was a smooth dancer!_

He was twirling her around the dance floor with ease. She found herself grinning up at him like a loon as their feet moved in perfect time to the music. He gave her an easy grin back, then lifted his arm in an arch for her to spin away from him, then back, catching her firmly around the waist once more. They moved effortlessly to the beats, seeming to know exactly which steps to take to mirror one another. He kept a respectable distance between their bodies, but his slow smile and the way his hand tightened around hers had Lucy feeling lightheaded.

When the song ended, the music moved into a faster tempo, Gray bent low so that he could whisper in her ear. "Want to stay for another song?"

His cool breath sent a shiver running down her spine.

"Yes," her voice cracked and she had to try again. "Yes."

 _That's it. Dazzle him with what a sparkling conversationalist you are,_ her subconscious whispered.

 _When we're not dancing, I will,_ she shot back, deeply regretting the multiple drinks she had consumed. She was never so nitpicky with herself as she was when Lucy-The-Drunken-Philosopher came out to play. But the second a few drinks wormed into her brain, all her insecurities started crawling out.

With a quick mental shove, she refocused on Gray. He had dropped his hands away from her, giving her space to move. His feet echoed the faster cadence of the song. She followed his lead, facing him but twisting her arms in the air, bouncing enthusiastically to the drumbeat.

Her heart seemed to pound in sync to the music, the rhythm making her feel weightless as she spun, whirled, and shimmied near him. She refused to do the more provocative moves that Cana had showed her earlier, opting instead to just have fun.

"I like your dress!" Gray shouted. Lucy could see his bright lapis eyes flashing, but she wasn't close enough to him to decipher if he was admiring her or just being nice.

"Thanks! You look great, too!"

He came closer to her, brushing back some of her long blonde hair to speak into the shell of her ear.

"I kept losing my clothes. That's why it took me so long to get here. I had to keep retracing my steps." His voice was husky and intimate. She bit her lip to keep from sighing at how close he was and how good he sounded.

A hundred thoughts ping-ponged in her head in that moment, most of them variations of how overrated she thought clothing to be on him, especially when his breath tickled her skin, causing goosebumps to form all over her neck and down her arms.

"I'll vouch that you arrived fully clothed, just in case you lose them again," she teased.

Gray gave a low moan of mock displeasure. "Thanks, Lucy. Or you could just warn me if you see them coming off."

 _Where's the fun in that?_ She thought, but out loud she said, "We'll see."

She gave an impish grin, feeling her insides melt when she saw him blush.

The dance floor was getting more crowded and they were practically pushed to the edge of it. Rather than fight for a place back in, they took a couple of steps away.

"Did you end up making ice for the party?" Lucy asked.

"Umm...not at first because I wasn't here, but I'm doing it now. The bartenders won't run out, I promise."

Lucy was taken aback that he didn't have to be right next to the ice to work his magic.

"Doesn't it drain you to be constantly using magic?"

Gray looked surprised at the question. "No, not for something small. If I was fighting or using a lot of my magic, I would get tired, but just making ice cubes and crushed ice doesn't siphon off my magic at all. Why? Do you get drained when you open a celestial gate?"

"It might be a bit different, some gates are harder to open than others. Silver gate keys require a lot less magic than my golden keys. But if my spirits end up using a lot of their energy, that can exhaust _me_ , too." Lucy brushed her hand against her celestial keys.

"Like Loke?" Gray asked.

"Loke is one of my most powerful spirits, but he wants to help me."

 _Almost too much sometimes,_ she thought as she stifled a groan.

Loke the Lion was the leader of the zodiac and a golden gate key. He was youthful and handsome, with a mane of orange hair and blue-tinted sunglasses. He was gorgeous by anyone's standards, but way too much of a playboy, in her opinion.

Lucy just wanted a working relationship with him. He seemed to mostly understand, even if he did hit on her a lot. At least he wasn't as perverted about it as Taurus was, another one of her celestial spirits.

Lucy refocused on the question. She thought of all her keys and spirits, and slowly said, "Aquarius doesn't like to be called, so she tends to drain the most of my energy."

"Out of spite?" Gray arched an eyebrow at her.

"Not out of spite, she just wants to make sure I only call her when it's absolutely necessary. It's always a bit harder to get her gate to open," she admitted. "Plus, she has a boyfriend and she's often busy with him."

Lucy didn't bother telling Gray that every time she opened the Water Bearer's gate, Aquarius berated her for not having a boyfriend. She didn't understand why Aquarius was so acrimonious toward her. Lucy loved all her spirits, but Aquarius was her very first celestial key and had belonged to her mother, Layla. When her mother had died and Lucy had inherited her zodiac keys, Aquarius was by far her favourite. Not only for the sentimental value of belonging to her Mom, but Lucy had looked up to Aquarius as a mother figure and playmate.

Gray was saying something to her, but the music seemed louder than before. She could see his lips moving, but the words were garbled. She shook her head and cupped her ear to demonstrate she couldn't hear him.

The alcohol she had consumed fuelled her courage, though. She wanted to ask him something first.

She raised herself on tiptoes and he bent towards her, angling his head so she could speak directly into his ear. She stretched towards him and caught the scent of his shampoo or soap – a fresh, clean smell, like new fallen snow. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she breathed him in...just for a moment.

"Did you want to take a walk outside?" she yelled, keeping herself a few inches away from his ear so her voice didn't ring inside his eardrums.

Gray seemed startled by her question but nodded, letting her lead the way.

* * *

Natsu Dragneel paused from his eating his sixth plate of food to see Lucy talking with Gray. Natsu's eyes flared when he smelled her interest in the stupid porn star, spiking higher than it ever had before.

Lucy was _his_ partner, not the frosty-ass stripper's!

He knocked back his chair, not noticing it bump into Elfman, who was flirting (badly) with Evergreen, telling her she was 'one of the manliest women in Fairy Tail.'

The fire dragon slayer moved on sheer instinct, his mind narrowing down to two thoughts: He was going to kick Gray's ass, and stop him and Lucy from going outside alone together.

* * *

Lucy was leading the way to the back garden when Jet appeared before her, his eyes frantic. He had a very drunk Levy cradled bridal style in his arms.

"Lucy! Levy keeps saying she needs you!" Jet bulldozed his way to her side.

"Levy! Are you alright?" Lucy reached out to turn the blunette's face toward her. Levy cracked open an eyelid. Her eyes were glazed-over and unfocused, but when Levy saw her best friend's face floating in front of her, her lips turned up into a quavering smile.

"Lusshiii!" Levy slurred, reaching out to hug her.

"Can she walk?" Lucy asked Jet. Levy's teammate gave an awkward shrug that said _I don't know._

He gently placed Levy's feet back on the floor, keeping his hands on her shoulders to steady her. The girl wobbled, her face was flushed from the alcohol and she was biting her bottom lip.

"Levy, are you okay?" Gray asked.

"Lushhiii...," Levy tripped, falling toward her.

Lucy reached out and caught her by the biceps.

"I'm going to be sick," the script mage said clearly; her hand flying to her mouth as she started gagging.

"Jet! Get her to the washroom!" Lucy yelled. He scooped up the tiny solid script mage and ran out of the ballroom, his figure a blur as he whizzed past all the other guild members.

Lucy turned toward Gray.

"I have to go take care of her."

He nodded. "Of course. I understand. Can I help?"

Lucy thought about it, but she knew that if she were throwing up, but only person she would trust enough to see her in such a state was Levy.

"I think I'll be okay. I'll tend to her, why don't I met you in the back gardens when I'm done?"

"Sure. I hope she's alright." He shoved his hands deep into his pants pockets. "If you need me, get Jet to come find me."

"Thanks, Gray." Her voice automatic, her focus on the tiny blunette. She turned away from the ice make mage and ran out of the ballroom, excusing herself as she bumped into various guild members, their faces indistinct as she forced her way through the crowd to get to her best friend.

* * *

Natsu moved with agility that did justice to his title as the Salamander, following Gray outside to the back gardens.

Frostbite was sauntering along, very pleased with himself. Natsu smelled his interest in the celestial wizard. His nose wrinkled in distaste. It wasn't as overt or as strong as some of the couples at Fairy Tail, but it was a bud that needed to be nipped out.

"Gray! Fight me!" Natsu roared, rushing down the steps to where Gray was walking down the brick path.

"You're on!" The words were out before Gray even turned around to face him, an ice sword already in his hands to met Natsu's fire dragon iron fist. He pivoted on his left heel as the two met in midair with a bone-jarring crunch, throwing them both back. They skidded across the path, small pebbles scattered by their feet where they each landed in a crouch, eyeing each other for an opening. There were none. Both were serious fighters and neither had been drinking.

Gray never needed a reason to fight anyone, especially Natsu. His jacket, tie and shirt went flying off faster than Erza could requip.

His muscles were coiled, eyes watching the tension in his opponent's shoulders to anticipate his next move.

He snarled as the fire dragon slayer launched forward; Natsu feinted a punch before landed a kick in his kneecap. Grimacing, Gray was grabbed by the hair, a flash of pink his only warning to the head butt that followed, the thunk ringing in his ears. He raised an eyebrow, turning his head away slightly, but keeping a wary eye on the slayer, spitting to the side.

Natsu and him fought at full-strength— _was there any other way?_ —but the pinkette wasn't normally this ferocious and determined.

"What is your deal, man?" Gray asked hotly, striking to the left with his sword. Seeing Natsu react to parry, he switched mid-motion, landing a solid right hook to his gut instead. The sword in his left hand didn't connect as he hoped, but he did clip Natsu's head. _Haha, sucker!_

Only to have the wind knocked out of him when Natsu kicked him so hard, he would've crashed into the fountain if Freed's runes hadn't plastered him against an invisible wall. Gray used Ice Impact, the hammer arcing down at breakneck speed, but Natsu was faster and dodged, rolling swiftly across the brick. Still, it slowed him down enough that Gray was able to launch his ice-make lances, which Natsu melted instantly.

"Are you two fighting?" A booming voice called.

They both turned to see Laxus, one hard fist clocking the pinkette right on the chin. Gray would've pointed and laughed at Natsu getting his teeth bashed in, but a lightning jab to his own throat cut off any air supply he had left.

Then the fight was really on.

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

Lucy stood in the Carrara marble foyer; having no idea which direction Jet and Levy had gone.

She went to a bathroom on her right. It was locked, but she pounded on the door. The distinctly male voice yelling "someone's in here!" was _not_ Jet. She ran back to the lobby.

"Jet!" she yelled, her voice bouncing back at her. " _Jet...Jet..Jet..et...et"_ The echo tampered off.

"They went this way, bunny girl." Gajeel Redfox was rapidly approaching, grabbing her elbow and steering her to the left. He moved so fast that she stumbled trying to keep up.

"You can just point, you know! You don't have to grab me!" Lucy shrieked. He was barrelling down the hall so quickly that she was almost hydroplaning on her stilettos.

Gajeel immediately dropped his hand, but Lucy's forward momentum caused her to trip and fall. She closed her eyes, her arms windmilling out to try to stop herself from face-planting.

 _This is really going to hurt,_ she thought as she braced for impact.

Only it never came. She opened startled eyes to find herself hovering in mid-air, her face six-inches above the marble floor. The dragon slayer held her by the waist with two hands and deftly straightened her out.

He planted her upright on the floor like she was a beam to a barn he was raising – his grip firm but indifferent. The second he was sure she was steady, he dropped his hands away from her, a scowl turning down his lips.

"You Mermaid Heel women are all the same! A guy touches your _elbow_ and you lose your shit."

"Oh, is that what happened between you and Levy? You grabbed her and she didn't like it?" Lucy hissed.

"Is that what she told you?" He scowled, an angry flush heating up his face.

"She didn't tell me anything! And even if she did, I certainly wouldn't betray her confidence to come braid your hair and gab about it with you!"

"Bunny girl, you better watch yourself or next time you fall, I'll just stand by and watch you break your tiny, pink _bunny_ nose." He raised his finger as if to tap her nose in admonishment, but she swatted his hand away.

"Stop wasting my time, Redfox! I need to get to Levy!" She spun away, running down the hallway he had been hauling her toward, leaving the iron dragon slayer in the dust.

Jet was stepping out in the hallway as she rounded a corner, his face flooding with relief upon seeing her.

"Lucy, over here!" he yelled unnecessarily, seeing as she was running right at him. He opened a bathroom door wider to let her in.

Lucy skidded to a halt inside the bathroom, her eyes finding her best friend. The girl was crumpled pitifully around the toilet bowl. Her head resting on the rim, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Thanks for getting her here so fast, Jet," Lucy said, her voice sincere.

"Uh...do you need anything else?" The speed mage shifted from one foot to the other, cupping the back of his neck and looking uncomfortable.

"No, thank you. I'll take it from here. But if we need you, I'll come find you, okay?" Lucy held the door open in clear invitation for him to leave.

Hel looked grateful that someone other than him was dealing with this and made a hasty exit. Lucy closed and locked the door behind him, sighing in relief that it was just her and her best friend in the room. She rushed over to Levy, crouching down next to her.

"Hey, Lev-chan...how's it going?" Lucy smoothed back her friend's blue hair.

Levy lifted her head half an inch and opened her eyes. "I threw up," she confessed, sounding ashamed.

"That's okay, Levy. You can throw up." Lucy said in a soothing voice, she rubbed small circles on her best friend's back.

Levy nodded and closed her eyes again. After a few moments, she started gagging, retching into the porcelain bowl. Lucy sat with her, holding back her short blue hair, whispering comforting phrases. She rested her hand gently on Levy's back to remind the other girl of her physical presence so the solid script mage would know she was not alone.

Levy vomited twice more. She panted and rested her head on her forearms. "I think I'm done," she spat once more into the bowl for good measure, then pushed herself back and away from the basin.

Lucy helped her find her footing. Levy had rubbery legs and didn't seem to notice she wasn't wearing any shoes. Lucy directed her toward the sink and helped her scrub her sweaty face clean of makeup and made her drink some water straight from the tap to rinse out her mouth. Levy was a compliant drunk, doing everything the celestial mage asked, including sucking on a mint that Lucy had dug out of her small clutch.

"My puss ish ouch dare sumweir," Levy slurred.

It took a moment for Lucy to decipher _puss_ meant purse. Levy was saying her purse was out there, somewhere. She hadn't seen Levy with a bag, but wasn't about to argue.

"One of the boys will find it for you."

Levy nodded heavily, seeming satisfied by that answer. Her eyes slid closed again.

"Hey, Levy! Are you ready to go?" Lucy was alarmed that she seemed to be on the verge of passing out. She wanted to get some water into her and have her walk around for a while to make sure she was okay before she would let the tiny blunette go to sleep.

Levy nodded again, opening her eyes a bit wider. Lucy propped her upright, wrapping one arm around her back, the other around her waist.

"Lev?" Lucy said when she noticed her friend's eyes glazing over.

"Yup! I'm all present and accounted for!" Levy swung one arm up wildly like she was a student in class, desperate not to miss roll call.

Lucy giggled. Drunk Levy was worrisome, but she was still just like regular Levy: a lot of fun.

"Miss McGarden, I don't know if anyone else told you this tonight, but you look absolutely beautiful." She told her, affection lacing her voice.

"Thanks, Luschi-chan!" Levy stood a bit taller, her bright, tipsy smile lighting up her pretty face. "I liked the dress."

"You can keep it. I think you gathered quite a few admirers out there, you know." Lucy reached a careful hand out to open the bathroom door so they could exit.

Levy stopped walking, her face fell, her expression turning glum. "You don't think I'm some sort of slut, do you?"

"What? No, I don't think..." Lucy dropped her hand away from the doorknob, "that you're…" she felt the wheels in her head turning, "a..slut...at all." She finished slowly as something tripped inside her brain and several pieces of a puzzle fell together.

"Is that what Gajeel told you? That you're a _slut?"_ Lucy asked in disbelief. She was going to _murder_ that son of a bitch!

Levy shook her head, but the motion didn't agree with her. She retreated further back into the bathroom with Lucy holding her steady every step of the way. She thumped her body against the sink.

"No, not calling me a shut... _slut,"_ she enunciated in a clear voice, "but he was mad about me dancing with the guys."

 _Oh, Levy. Is that what you think?_

"Actually, I think Gajeel may have a crush on you, Levy," She told the blunette.

Levy shook her head in disagreement. "No, I think he's a mad...angry person."

Lucy couldn't argue with that. The iron dragon slayer didn't seem especially pleasant, but he _did_ find them this place for the party and helped them immensely. She was beginning to think it wasn't so much as helping _them_ as trying to get into Levy's good graces.

Of course, then he had to act like a complete jackass and spoil it all by opening his big stupid mouth.

She had a strong inkling that Gajeel Redfox was not a man of words, but rather a man of action.

"Is that why you got so drunk? To forget about your argument with Gajeel?" Lucy asked.

"Did I tell you about that?" Levy peered up at the blonde, some shrewdness colouring her topaz eyes again. Seeing Levy inquisitive flooded the celestial mage with relief.

"No, I figured it out long ago. You were having so much fun dancing and then suddenly you weren't. I noticed Gajeel left the room and didn't come back." She paused, watching for the blunette's reaction. "I figured you two might have butted heads over something,"

" _He's_ the butt-head," Levy said in a peevish, little-girl voice, as if she was tattling on the schoolyard bully who pushed her off the swings to show that he liked her.

Which, if Lucy had time to think about it, sounded _exactly_ like something the tall brooding man would do. But what caught Lucy's attention was that her best friend's voice wasn't slurring in the slightest.

Lucy laughed. "Yup, he is. Do you feel a bit better now? We should go find Juvia and Erza, and tell them we need to get you home."

Levy waved the statement off. "I'm _fine_ now, Lu-chan."

As if to prove her point, she pulled away from the blonde and took a couple of steps on her own. She wavered slightly, but she was definitely looking more stable. Lucy opened the bathroom door and cocked her head at the sight awaiting them. Right on the floor of the hallway, where it couldn't be missed, was a pint glass of water – obviously meant for Levy.

To make it even more obvious, when Lucy went to pick up the cup, she spotted a tiny piece of paper with the word _Levy_ chicken-scratched on it. Whether the water was placed there by Gajeel, Jet, Droy, or someone else, Lucy wasn't certain – but she suspected it was the metal-head.

"Here, drink this." Lucy said as she handed the glass to Levy. The solid script mage didn't ask why there was a glass of water waiting for her on a hallway floor, but just raised it to her mouth and took a small sip.

"Tastes good," Levy admitted, taking tiny swallows of her drink. "Hey, Lu-chan?"

"Yeah, Lev-chan?"

"Where are my shoes?" Levy stared down at her bare feet.

Lucy giggled at her friend's bewildered expression. "I have no idea, but I'll help you find them, okay?"

"What if we can't find them?" She sounded worried, more so than a pair of shoes she would probably never wear again would warrant.

"Then we can just say you're pretending to be Mavis for the night," Lucy suggested cheerfully, referencing Fairy Tail's first guild master who was famous for going barefoot.

Levy chuckled, her musical laugh brightening up her pale face. She took a few more sips of her water and started telling Lucy about the latest book she'd been reading.

* * *

Natsu regained consciousness just in time to be aware of a heavy, cold body propped against him. His eyes cracked open and his vision blurred for an instant. He could feel wet bark jabbing into his backside and surmised he was laying against a large tree.

Gray was snuggled against him, pressed cheek to cheek. They were both wrapped in each other's arms as if they had gently dozed off after cuddling.

The ice-make wizard had his arms flung around Natsu's waist, while Natsu had one arm wrapped around Gray's shoulder, the other arm stretching out to rest on…

"Holy mother of Mavis! Why are you stripped down to your underwear?" Natsu snatched his hand away from Gray's ass, his voice pitched high.

"Quick, come on, Reedus!" Cana called in the distance, dragging the paint-mage through the bushes toward them.

The pinkette leapt up, knocking Gray over unceremoniously.

"Did you pose us like this, Cana?" Natsu demanded as soon as she came into view, brushing off his pants as he glared at her.

Cana smirked. "Well, after Laxus knocked you both out, I thought you might want to keep your best friend warm."

"You're a sick woman, Cana," Gray grumbled, raising slowly to his feet. Cana didn't answer, taking a good look at his almost-naked form. Gray was delicious! Now if he could only inflict Natsu with his stripping habit...she felt her toes curl up from the naughty thought.

"I never claimed otherwise." Cana leered, her dark eyes twinkling. She raised her half-empty saké bottle in a mock salute and then took a swig.

"C'mon, Reedus. You missed it. That cuddle-puddle picture was going up on my bedroom wall, too," she said, sulking. _That would've been so sweet!_

"Oui," Reedus said sadly, even though he didn't share Cana's pervy predilections. He just loved to paint.

Their figures drooping slightly in disappointment, they both started walking back to the party. Natsu and Gray exchanged annoyed glances, neither of them thrilled that the lightning dragon slayer had managed to knock them both out.

"I don't suppose you'd want to help me find my clothes?" Gray asked, glancing around him helplessly. Even his socks were missing.

"Find them yourself," Natsu answered, voice gruff, even though he could clearly see Freezer Burn's pants hanging from a tree not far from them. It wasn't his fault the stupid stripper didn't have his awesome vision. He ambled away, trailing Cana and Reedus back to the mansion.

Gray wanted to shoot ice-arrows at the lot of them. They really _were_ the worst friends when it came to helping him find his clothes. With a heavy sigh, he started looking around. They couldn't have gone _that_ far, could they?

* * *

A slightly rumpled looking Natsu sat with Erza, Laxus, Wendy and Mira at a table when Levy and Lucy finally got back to the ballroom. They were all eating dessert.

"Hey guys, how's the cake?" Lucy asked as she approached the table. Levy collapsed into a chair, but the blonde stayed standing.

"It's delicious, Lucy! Thank you!" Wendy chirped happily. She had a slice of the strawberry one on her plate.

"It's pretty good," Laxus said, scarfing down a giant slice of lemon cake.

Lucy took that to mean it was actually fantastic. Laxus wasn't generous with compliments and the celestial wizard was learning to read between the lines.

"Meh, it's alright, could use more hot sauce," Natsu complained, stabbing his fork into the chili chocolate cake with a disenchanted look on his face.

"I told you that would ruin it!" Erza didn't rise from her seat, but she seemed to grow bigger, her death-ray stare shrinking down everyone else around her.

Lucy wasn't sure how she always did that, but it scared the life out of her. She wasn't the only one. Natsu stopped picking at his cake and shovelled the rest of his slice into his mouth, giving an exaggerated moan to show how yummy he thought it was – an act that fooled no one but seemed to mollify Erza.

Lucy bit her cheek to keep from laughing at his exaggerated expression, complete with him rubbing his tummy in circles and rolling his eyes heavenward.

She fake-coughed as a grin split her lips and a chuckle escaped, holding both hands over her mouth as she turned away, spluttering. It took her a few minutes to regain control over herself. She missed the sharp jade eyes that cut towards her at the sound, crackling in amusement.

"The cake is scrumptious," Mira offered, eating her tiny sliver of lemon chiffon cake.

"It is delectable, Lucy. I must say, I've enjoyed this party immensely," Erza said, holding a bite of cake aloft on her fork. "Juvia went looking for you both, perhaps you should go find her."

Lucy glanced down at Levy, who still had half her water left to drink and seemed content to just sit there, watching the world go by. She didn't want the blunette to pass out on her. She shot a worried look to Erza, raising her eyebrows and tilting her head toward Levy, trying to convey that their friend was drunk and possibly unwell. Erza grasped the situation immediately.

"Lucy, you go find Juvia. Levy, can you take me on a tour of these fascinating suits of armour? I saw a sigil that I didn't recognize on one of the shields, but I think you might." Erza lifted Levy from her chair and stood her up again as gently as a mother lifts a newborn.

Levy perked up instantly. Someone was asking for her encyclopedic knowledge. Her mind had been spongy, the palette knife spreading alcoholic icing to coat her anger at a certain iron-pocked slayer. Now that her brain was being called upon, the alcohol receded like waves at low tide, exposing what the murky, spirited depths had hidden.

"I'm certain if I don't know it, I'll be able to find out tomorrow," Levy said firmly, ready to dole out some pearls of wisdom.

The two of them moved toward the front of the mansion and Lucy let out a soft sigh of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.

With Erza out of the room, Natsu took it upon himself to pour hot sauce straight down his throat.

"Natsu!" She tried to look annoyed, but she couldn't do it. The guy liked hot sauce, so what? There were worst things in the world.

"I had to wash that sweet chocolate taste outta my mouth!" he protested, smacking his lips to clear the remnants of spice.

Lucy made a light clack of her tongue as she watched him drain the bottle.

"I don't know why you had the cake anyway. You told me you weren't a fan of desserts."

"You got that right," Natsu grumbled, resting his elbow on the tabletop while he leaning his cheek into his hand.

At Lucy's mystified look, Wendy supplied, "Erza made the dragon slayers each have some cake. She said you and Levy went through the trouble of making sure we each got a special one, so the least we could do was try it."

"I didn't see Gajeel having any," Lucy looked around the room, figuring if the iron dragon slayer was there, he'd be easy to spot. And she had a bone to pick with him about upsetting her best friend.

"He put away three slices before Erza even got to us!" Natsu gestured toward the vanilla buttercream cake that looked like it had been hacked to bits. Broken layers laid on their sides as if melting, icing smeared on the tablecloth, crumbs everywhere.

 _For someone who has sharp, iron weapons at his disposal, he sure can't cut a cake._

Wendy caught her gaze, noting the disgust. "Erza wasn't happy that he made the cake look like that. No one else would even touch it after he was done."

"Yeah, I can see why. I better go find Juvia now. It's only her second night in Fairy Tail and I don't want her to feel we've abandoned her," Lucy dismissed, rubbing her temple.

"The tall blue-haired girl?" Laxus asked. "The one who was swimming?"

Lucy gave an affirming nod.

"I think she went out to the back gardens," Mira said, always happy to help.

 _Back gardens._ She was supposed to meet Gray out there. She'd almost forgotten, so consumed she was with making sure Levy was alright. Juvia was her priority, though. She felt a pang of guilt that she had left her friend alone for so long.

"Thanks, I'll try to see if I can find her." She gave a slight bow to the group as she excused herself, her violet skirts fanning out behind her as she walked.

She scurried to the back of the room, seeing Cana still at the bar, doing shots with Macao and talking loudly about a yaoi picture she had wanted Reedus to paint. Lucy didn't even want to know. She hurried by, hoping the card-mage hadn't spotted her.

When she crossed through the open garden doors, the first thing she noticed was how glorious it felt to be outside. It was a cool, crisp night. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay out for too long without getting cold, but the initial rush of sweet, grass-scented air felt amazing.

She spotted Juvia near a water fountain. Not a huge surprise: the water mage liked water; Natsu liked fire; Erza liked weapons; Gray liked ice, she liked the stars and all the way down the line.

As she got closer to Juvia, she could see the normally composed blue-haired girl was uncharacteristically excited. Her face was flushed, she was giggling, and she was hugging herself. She looked younger, freer and more radiant than Lucy had ever seen her.

"Juvia! What's going on?" Lucy waved as she got closer.

"Lucy-san! You will never believe what has just happened to Juvia!" The blunette danced, actually _danced_ toward her friend, skipping and pirouetting like a ballerina.

Lucy grabbed both of Juvia's hands. The water mage's happiness was infectious, and she could feel Juvia's hands trembling within her own. A delighted smile pulled up the corners of Lucy's lips.

"What happened?" she demanded, avid and curious.

"Juvia met someone!"

"You met someone? That's great!"

Lucy and Juvia hugged each other and then started jumping up and down in celebration. After several bounces, the blonde spared a thought that this was _not_ helping her case to become de-bunnied.

"Who is it?" _This is going to be good!_

Juvia's eyes shone like a cloudless summer blue sky, the name coming out on a happy wisp of breath, "Gray."

"Gray?" Lucy repeated flatly. She felt the air whoosh out of her like she'd just been gut punched.

 _Okay, maybe not so good._

* * *

 ** _A/N – I know I keep mentioning other writers on here, but no one_ _had_ _to befriend me. They certainly didn't have to encourage me, beta read and fangirl over FT with me. These are not small gifts. Big squishy hugs (or a yaoi picture of Natsu and Gray...pick your poison) to quite-a-riot, xSteleAliniax, ShanaHollows, and Satyrykal. I have learned so much from each of you!_**

 ** _Huge hugs and love again to Satyrykal! In the past 2 weeks, she's edited like a mofo Ninja three chapters for me and given me a ton of invaluable feedback. You are amazing, girl! Thanks so much!_**

 ** _This story reached over 100 followers! Thank you SO much to ALL of you for making this happen!_**

 ** _Thank you to the readers, the dreamers and the believers! My thanks go to_** ** _–_** ** _silver light of dawn, MasterGildarts, ShanaHollows, Celistastar, Guest, Satyrykal, noseinabook, stranger1999, Bakers28 and Graciewashere33 (x2) and everyone who is reading this!_**

 ** _Please Follow so we can find each other again!_**

 **" _Freezer Burn" is a Gray insult that I first read in Passive Aggressive Post Its. Used with quite-a-riot's permission._**

 ** _Special shout out to noseinabook! She mentioned about Chapter 8, "there's Cana just off in a corner having a go at Lucy's boobs. I definitely ship Cana and Lucy's boobs. CaLoobs we can call it." CaLoobs is officially a crack-ship for me now! Thanks for making me spit-laugh!_**

 ** _IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT _****_– Due to time (which was supposed to be on my side but enjoys bitch-slapping me far too much), RBR will be updated every second Sunday from now on or until I run out of stockpiled chapters. My sincerest apologies_** ** _– I need to have stockpiled chapters because I suck at outlining and want to make sure the story isn't careening off a cliff._**


	10. Chapter 10 - Juvia

**Thank you to the amazing Satyrykal who edited this chapter for me! You're the best!**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Juvia**

"Gray?" Lucy repeated in a faint, colourless voice. "Gray _Fullbuster_?"

Juvia flung her arms out wide, still caught up in her fantasy of meeting the perfect guy, her head tilted back as she spun in place. She didn't notice Lucy was no longer rejoicing with her.

"Juvia does not know his last name." She sung, her irises deep pools of aqua.

Lucy felt her heart beat faster, she grasped onto sudden hope. _Maybe there's another Gray at this party! There are a lot of people here that I've never met before._

"What does he look like?" Lucy plastered a fake smile on her face, cheeks straining with rigid tightness. _Dial it down!_ Her smile slipped down a couple inches, but became no less genuine.

She had been happy for Juvia mere seconds ago, but this was akin to stepping onto a beach before suddenly realizing it was rigged with landmines. Lucy could sense the danger they were in, just one false step...

"He's tall with black hair," Juvia gushed, hearts in her eyes.

 _Could be practically anyone…_

"He has gorgeous blue eyes…"

 _Maybe one of the waitstaff?_

"When Juvia started talking with him, Gray-sama suddenly started to undress…"

 _Bullseye._

 _Shit._

 _Shitty shit shit._

The blonde felt her grin collapse in on itself slowly, her mouth flatlining. The blood drained from her face as she stared at the other girl.

The water-mage started hugging herself, her lashes scrunching closed as if to savour the memory.

"Juvia has never met a man so bold before."

"Yeah, Gray has a stripping habit." Lucy sighed.

Juvia's eyes sparked up like fireworks. "Lucy-san knows Gray-sama? You two are friends?"

She grabbed Lucy by the shoulders, shaking the celestial mage like a sandy beach towel.

Her jaw rattling, she pulled away from Juvia, wrapping an arm around her stomach as the ominous green shot threatened to come back up for another look.

"Yes, we are friends," Lucy said through gritted teeth. Her stomach was knotted in anxiety and she felt like a cotton ball had lodged in her windpipe. How do you tell one of your best friends that you both have a crush on the same guy?

She sucked in a fortifying breath. "Juvia, about Gray and I…"

"Lucy-san loves Gray-sama?" Juvia cut her off, her tone equal parts accusation and disbelief. She staggered backwards, a wounded look on her face.

"Love? What? _No_. I've never even been on a date with him," she blurted out honestly.

The water woman studied her intently for a moment, then breathed a sigh of deep relief, all smiles again.

"Good. Juvia has no interest in harbouring love-rivals for Gray-sama's affection."

Lucy was about to claim she _was_ a love-rival—whatever that meant—when a horrible thought struck her.

"Wait...did Gray ask you out?"

It was a distinct possibility. Juvia was beautiful. If it turned out Gray preferred her friend, she would back off, not wanting to risk two friendships for a teenage crush. But oh, it hurt. She could hear her heartbeat, erratic and frantic in her eardrums. The blood rushing to her head was so loud, she could barely make out what the blunette was saying.

"Gray-sama does not need to ask Juvia anything. Our love is destined to be."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" _Um...you just said that outloud._ Lucy fastened her hand over her mouth, horrified.

Juvia's eyes grew stormy. Lucy had never seen the water mage annoyed, let alone angry before, but she could feel the water woman's power. An unseen wind whipped the blunette's hair and clothes, her body becoming translucent as she fought to control her magic aura.

"It means," she hissed in a low, threatening voice, "that Juvia loves Gray Fullerbuster!"

" _Fullbuster,"_ Lucy corrected. "And how can you love a guy you met...what, twenty minutes ago?"

"My darling Gray deserves far better than some blonde bimbo. You _are_ my love-rival!" Juvia exclaimed, her pretty mouth distorted into an ugly snarl.

She blinked twice. She had no idea what had gotten into the woman.

"My darling Gray? _Bimbo?_ _Love rival?_ Are you drunk?"

It seemed like a fair question.

Or not.

Juvia seemed on the verge of a mental breakdown, yanking on her wavy blue hair with both hands before she started pacing back and forth in agitation like a caged tiger, whispering under her breath. Lucy strained to hear what she was saying over the noise of the water fountain.

 _Drip, drip, drop._

Lucy scrunched her nose. At least that was what she _thought_ Juvia was muttering over and over again.

 _That can't be right. That's certifiably insane._

Lucy watched for several moments as the blunette paced about, repeating 'drip, drip, drop' in a slow, steady voice that belied how crazy her eyes were getting. The celestial mage had to stop this. She didn't want to fight with Juvia or see her upset.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked if you were drunk. _I'm_ the one who has had far too much to drink tonight. I didn't mean to cause you distress. Gray and I are friends. _Just_ friends…" she trailed off as she wondered how honest she should be.

Yes, she'd been hoping for more when she'd invited him to meet her outside tonight, but he had met Juvia instead. Maybe everything she had been longing for had just been in her head. He had asked her to dance. Big deal.

It was a party, lots of people were dancing. It had meant something to her, but that didn't necessarily mean it meant anything to him. Erza and Laxus had danced, for crying out loud. And she knew there was nothing going on between them. Not to mention Levy had danced with a _bunch_ of guys.

"Just friends," she repeated, her shoulders slumped, suddenly feeling exhausted. She had no idea what Gray had spoke to Juvia about or if they had flirted. She wondered if he had maybe liked Lucy briefly... until the gorgeous blunette had shown up and knocked him off his feet.

 _In the dress Lucy gave her._

Lucy shook her head, gold tendrils of her hair brushing against her cheek. It was unlike her to be bitter. It just hurt to hear her crush of four months was off the table. Especially since she had just put him _on_ the table. Her mind was suddenly filled with the fantasy of Gray over at her house, picking her up by the waist and lifting her up to the kitchen table, leaning in to kiss her senseless.

 _No._

That wasn't the reality. Juvia had never so much as hinted at interest in a man before. She wasn't about to challenge the water mage's claim on Gray. Even if it seemed crazy to her, the two had obviously bonded to affect her friend so deeply.

 _Maybe I should dye my hair blue. It seems like the blunettes get all the attention around here._

Her senses trickled back to her as she realized Juvia was talking to her, apologizing for calling Lucy a 'bimbo.' She nodded mutely at the appropriate times, stunned by the evening's turn of events. They had been good friends for the past seven years together at Mermaid Heel. The water mage was modest, timid, the shyest of her friends. Now she was a woman obsessed. She kept gushing about how happy she was with her 'darling Gray'.

"Juvia is sure one day you will find the type of love that she has." She had her fists entwined under her chin and a dewy, far-off look on her face.

"Uh, sure. I'm happy for you both," Lucy muttered back, forcing a watery smile, though the words caused her eyes to fill with tears and a sharp pain stabbed her heart.

She looked up to the stars: the same stars that she praised, that guided her magic, that gave her immeasurable comfort...and for the first time ever, she felt small and insignificant.

"Levy isn't feeling well. We should go," her voice scarcely above a whisper, her tongue suddenly too large for her mouth.

Juvia stopped staring into the distance, refocusing as she nodded, following the blonde towards the house to locate Erza and Levy.

Time rushed by and somehow, Lucy found herself back inside a horse-drawn carriage. They were with the same driver whose horse Erza had sent whinnying into the sunset when they'd first arrived.

Considering his colourful language directed toward the requip wizard earlier, she hadn't expected him to come back. Still he was polite and docile towards Erza, offering her a hand to help her into the coach. The redhead graciously accepted, more out of propriety than any need for assistance. Juvia accepted the driver's white gloved hand and slid in beside the redhead.

Levy had managed to get shoes back on her feet, distractedly explaining that Jet and Droy had found them for her. Erza had found the tiny girl's huge, horribly mismatched brown purse. The requip mage had secured it like a mailbag criss-crossing over Levy's left shoulder to bump into her right thigh with every jolt of the carriage. She looked tired. Erza put a stainless steel water bottle into the exhausted girl's hand, forcing the blunette to take periodic sips.

As they were driving along, Erza asked Juvia if she had fun at the party. The water woman wasted no time in delving into a detailed description of how she had spotted Gray and he had stripped in front of her, then gushed about her love for 'Gray-sama'.

Erza raised her eyebrows. "Gray? Lucy, I had thought you and Gray…"

"Are good friends?" Lucy interrupted quickly, her voice falsely bright.

"Yes, we are all on Team Natsu together," She continued for Juvia's benefit, "but Erza has actually known Gray the longest. They have been at Fairy Tail together since they were kids."

The redhead narrowed her eyes at the blonde.

"I see," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. Then she turned to the tall blunette beside her. "Yes, I have known him and Natsu since we were children. When they are not challenging each other like insufferable idiots, they are both skilled fighters."

Juvia swooned, seeming to take the slight against Gray in stride...possibly because it demonstrated one less potential love rival.

The water woman raised a delicate hand to touch her forehead. "Juvia is not the least bit surprised to hear my darling Gray is a powerful wizard. You must tell me of any fights you have witnessed where my love has emerged the victor."

Erza spared a glance at Lucy, who nodded back with a poorly disguised grimace.

"Yes, tell us about battles you guys have fought together."

… _And save me from having to try to talk right now._

The lump in her throat was bigger than a duck's egg and she didn't trust her voice to speak any longer. Lucy felt Levy's hand on her knee, giving a reassuring squeeze. She looked down to find the solid script mage studying her intently.

 _He likes Juvia,_ she thought at her friend. Levy's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, but Lucy gave a short nod in confirmation. Shifting, she hid herself behind her friend's hair and tried to feign sleep, doing her best to tune out Juvia's incessant chatter about how beautiful Gray was and how compatible she thought their ice and water magics were together. Levy hugged her tight, opting not to contribute to the conversation, either.

It seemed to take forever to get back to their apartment building. Levy squeezed Erza and Juvia in turn, wishing them a good night. The blonde waited by the side for a moment, before moving forward, the hem of her dress floating above the cobblestones.

Lucy embraced the water mage, trying to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke, "I'm so glad you came to Fairy Tail, Juvia. I know you'll love it here just as much as I do."

Juvia returned the hug, her cerulean eyes sparkling. "Juvia is so happy she came! Thank you for making Juvia attend the party. It was wonderful."

 _If you ever wanted to be an actress, this is the time._ She carefully schooled her face into a semblance of a happy expression and swallowed thickly.

"We'll see you both soon!" she chirped. All of a sudden, she was thankful for all the dinners her father had made her sit through. Always silent and obedient, wearing a practiced look of pleasantness on her face as the grown-ups talked around her, but never _to her._ The epitome of the perfect, well-behaved child. She swallowed back the bile that was rising in her throat, and lifted her hand to send Juvia and Erza off with a happy wave.

Levy stood beside her, giving her own enthusiastic wave goodnight. She rounded on her best friend the second the horse and buggy were out of sight.

"What's all this nonsense about Gray liking Juvia?"

She and Levy entered their apartment complex and started climbing the stairs together. Lucy gave a defeated sigh then shrugged.

"I went outside to find Juvia, and she had already met Gray. She was so excited, Levy."

Her brain recoiled from the memory of the water mage dancing and hugging her when she first told her that she had met someone.

"She says it was love at first sight," Lucy added, just in case Levy had been too drunk to pay any attention to the other blunette's prattling on back in the carriage.

Levy's eyes flashed in challenge. "Does Gray know about any of this?"

"What do you mean ' _does he know_ '? He was there." She carded her fingers through her hair, the strands tugging her scalp slightly.

"Yes, but sometimes what _guys_ think and what _girls_ think are two different things. Maybe he was just making polite conversation?" the blunette ventured. "When Juvia was telling us about her crush, she was going on and on about how beautiful Gray is, but she didn't say anything about what Gray had said to her."

As much as Lucy wanted to resurrect hope that Gray might prefer her, she was trying to be a realist.

"Whatever he said, it was enough to make her fall off the deep end."

Lucy and Levy reached the solid script wizard's apartment. The solid script wizard opened her apartment door and ushered her friend inside. Lucy stepped out of her stilettos with gratitude, wiggling her toes to get the blood circulating through them again. They made their way to the couch, clearing some books to make enough space for both of them to sit down.

"Hmmm…when I saw you and Gray dancing, I just thought…" Levy trailed off.

"I know, I was thinking that, too. Bad timing, I guess." Lucy moped for a moment but then forced the corners of her lips up. "At least this way I didn't jeopardize my friendship with Gray. I don't want to make things awkward between us."

"Lucy…" Levy wasn't fooled in the slightest.

The blonde interrupted her. "Lev, are you going to be alright? How are you feeling?"

Levy gave a small smile at her friend's concern, taking a diligent sip out of her water bottle. "I'm good, Lu-chan. Honest. Thank you for taking care of me."

"Anytime."

Levy gave a low hum, an indicator that she wanted to talk about the ice mage some more, but noticed the look her friend shot her – far too tired to get into it tonight.

Levy didn't say anything more, just offered her the water bottle. They sat in companionable silence for several minutes, just passing the drink back and forth until Lucy finally spoke.

"It's almost two-thirty in the morning. I should get to bed." She stood and Levy followed her lead – the shorter girl stretched her arms above her head.

"Yeah, me too." A yawn punctuated the end of the her sentence.

Lucy picked up her stilettos in one hand, no way she was jamming her feet back into them for the two flights up to her apartment. She seized her small gold clutch purse and dug out her house keys, the metal jangling in the quiet. The two girls hugged before Lucy slipped out the door. "Don't forget to lock up behind me, Lev."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Levy rolled her eyes and the two exchanged fond smiles. Lucy stepped out of her best friend's apartment, feeling reassured when she heard the telltale click of the deadbolt sliding into the lock behind her. She made her way up the stairs and opened her own door.

 _Home at last._

She went into her bedroom, unhooking her celestial keys and placing them in a small, star-shaped crystal bowl on her desk – a seventh birthday gift from her parents.

She unzipped herself out of her gorgeous amethyst dress, the fabric pooling at her feet. A pang of sadness twinging her heart as she thought of how she had chosen it specifically to impress Gray. With a sigh, she smoothed the material and packed it back into its garment bag, hanging it from the hook inside her closet door.

She pulled on her night clothes: a plain yellow tank top and a pair of cobalt PJ shorts. It was her 'sun and sky' pajama combo and she tended to wear it when she was feeling depressed. She found the mixture of the two colours comforting.

She went into the bathroom and gently pulled the bobby pins from her hair. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. The mirror reflected troubled amber eyes back at her.

 _Go to sleep, Lucy –_ she told her reflection sternly. She held her gaze a moment later before her chin fell.

 _I can't. I'm too tense._

She bit her lip, considering, then turned on the taps of her shower. She threw off her PJ's, stepping into the pulsating heat. Standing in the warmth and comfort of her own home, she finally succumbed to the tears that had been threatening to fall since Juvia had told her about her affection for Gray. She let sadness wash over her with the water.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ She berated herself, pouring shampoo into her hand and digging her nails into her skull with a bit more force than necessary, scrubbing her hair vigorously as the hot spray pelted down her body.

 _Maybe it's better this way. Like I told Levy, at least I didn't make a fool of myself by confessing to him... only to find out he likes Juvia. That would've been a thousand times more humiliating._

Lucy-The-Drunken-Philosopher decided to rear her ugly head. _Humiliating, maybe. But if you had given him a choice, would he have still chosen her?_

A sob racked her body, more painful than the others, as she played the arguments back and forth in her thoughts. She found herself sliding down the slick tiled wall to sit with her knees pulled up to her chin, her arms wrapped around them and her head hanging low, tears streaming down her face. Her mind circled over and over, grieving for something she never had to begin with.

Her ruminations became mushy and intangible _–_ too knotted up to unsnarl in her current emotional state. The tears stopped flowing and exhaustion overtook her. She stood on shaky legs and washed her body quickly, wanting to scrub away all reminders of the party.

She turned off the taps and towelled off.

After she pulled her pajamas back on, she ran her tongue along her canines. Maybe it was her imagination, but she felt she could still taste the nasty green shooter. She brushed her teeth again, being extra thorough until all she could smell or taste in her mouth was minty freshness.

She gargled some mouthwash, to be on the safe side. She dried her honeyed strands with a towel. Her hair dryer would do the job faster, but she couldn't be bothered to dig it out. She ran a brush through her damp locks, wiping the steam off the bathroom mirror with the palm of her hand to see herself better. A choice she regretted instantly.

Her eyes were glassy, her face pink and puffy, the muscles on her neck corded with tension, sticking out in stark relief. She dropped the hairbrush beside the sink, a single tear leaking out the corner of her left eye.

She padded into her bedroom, pulling back her thick duvet and climbed into bed with a sigh. She tucked the blanket under her chin and closed her eyes, her body sinking into the mattress, the heat of her skin from the hot shower commingled with the warmth of her sheets. She felt heavy yet lightheaded as she sought the sweet refuge of slumber. In no time at all, she was fast asleep.

* * *

In her dream, she was in front of an old fashioned floor safe, the type that banks used a hundred years ago. The safe was sitting on a rough-hewn wooden floor. Sawdust motes floated through the air. She wanted to break in, but the combination lock was whirling of its own accord, as if possessed by a poltergeist. Watching it spin of its own violation filled her with unease, but something important was inside...something she needed.

All of a sudden, the lock came to an abrupt halt. _Click._

Lucy's eyes flew open and she was certain she wasn't alone in her bedroom. She scrambled to the corner of her bed, fear flashing through her body as her eyes tried to focus in the blackness, searching for the intruder she knew was there.

 _If he thought she was easy prey, he would soon learn his mistake._

"Open – Gate of the Lion, Leo!" she screamed, voice hoarse from sleep. She wasn't holding his key, but a few of her spirits could be summoned in desperate times if she needed them. The flash of brilliant light was blinding before Loke appeared before of her, his stance protective. He cast his own glow, but it was hurting her eyes, she couldn't see anything in front of him with his body blocking her view.

"I'm so pleased you summoned me, Lucy. Now, what seems to be the trouble?" Loke purred, a smirk pulling at his full lips.

"There's someone in my apartment!" Lucy fumbled, trying to find the switch to her bedside lamp. She pulled the cord and the fixture illuminated the room.

Only to find a very surprised dragon slayer staring back at her with a blue exceed perched on his shoulder.

"I told you this was a bad idea, Natsu," Happy cautioned, eyes flitting from the lion spirit to the blonde.

"What the _hell_ are the two of you doing in my apartment?" She squeaked, glancing at the clock, "at five fifteen in the morning?" All vestiges of sleep fled, her heart jackhammering in her chest.

"Gee, you sure aren't a morning person, Lucy," Happy said, his tone reproachful even as his whiskers quivered.

Her right eye twitched up, she wouldn't be surprised if it hit her hairline.

"I'm not the problem here! The problem is you two idiots broke into my house!"

"We didn't break in! The window was open!" Natsu protested, standing in the middle of her bedroom. His corded arms crossed behind his head, the picture of ease, acting for all the world like he owned the place. "Kinda over-reacting, dont'cha think?"

"I'll show you 'kind of over-reacting'..." Lucy fumed. "Loke, ready to kick some ass?" She vaulted out of bed, standing beside her celestial spirit.

Anger. Pure, unadulterated _rage_ coursed through her veins and for the first time in her life, she welcomed it.

All the fury, sadness, and bitterness combined into a white-hot ball of pent-up frustration. With Natsu breaking into her bedroom, she found the perfect outlet. The urge to hit something so strong, it almost felt primal. Natsu was giving her a cocky, carefree grin, shifting his feet slightly into a defensive stance, his eyes shining with delight.

Loke nodded in agreement, pushing up the sleeves of his suit, exposing his golden forearms. "Let's show these poor fools the power of our love."

She did a double take.

"What? Stop talking like that!" Lucy grabbed her whip, readying herself for battle, not allowing his familiar flirtations to hinder her concentration.

"All right! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu's fists were engulfed in flames, making his salmon-coloured hair glow hot pink. She forced air through her teeth in a hiss.

"Don't use your magic, you jerk! I'll never get my security deposit back if you level the place!"

"Huh?" He canted his head to the side, his jade eyes shaded below his fringe. "I can't use magic? Then why are you using yours?"

Lucy couldn't argue with that. Her fingers flexed as she turned to her celestial spirit. "Loke, he's right. I need to close your gate."

"Very well, but you really should keep your celestial keys under your pillow, like I asked," said Loke, inflection serious.

"The last time I did that, your key somehow ended up wedged between my breasts!" Lucy yelled, then clamped both hands over her mouth, mortified Natsu and Happy had just heard that.

"I _know,"_ He snickered with a salacious grin, eyes travelling downward to her assets. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest, her face flushed scarlet.

The leader of the zodiac gave a deep bow. "Call whenever you need me, and I shall come, Princess," He paused, tilting his head up so he could wink under his glasses. "After all, I'm your knight in shining armour."

"Please just go," Lucy begged, wanting to die of humiliation. He obliged, disappearing in a bronze blaze as his gate shut closed. She flinched as she took in her remaining company.

Natsu and Happy were doubled over in laughter, the fire mage clutching his knees, the blue exceed covering his mouth with his paws...all thoughts of fighting gone as the two yukked it up at her expense.

"You keep your celestial keys in your bra?" Natsu asked, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, irises flashing.

Lucy was about to retort that she didn't wear a bra to bed, but that wouldn't have come off sounding any better.

"Maybe they make nice pillows?" Happy asked, chortling beside his partner, his blue fur shifting to lilac as he flushed beneath his coat

Lucy could feel her face going lava-red, her head about to explode as heat shot through her.

"It was _one time,_ alright? Loke asked if I would leave them under my pillow, in...in case...in case...an intruder broke into my house!"

She flared with further indignation as she remembered waking up to find both Loke and Taurus's keys buried between her cleavage. When confronted, they swore it wasn't their doing and had insisted she rolled around in her sleep.

 _Holding the keys to my heart, my ass. Perverts, the both of them._

Since she couldn't prove anything, she dropped it, but she never slept with them underneath her pillow again.

"What are you two doing here?" she demanded, fidgeting her fingers along her arms, her anger seeping away.

"Oh, that. We came for a sleepover. Right, Happy?" Natsu scratched his abdominals lazily, the muscles pulling under his touch in the weak light. He acted like it was an everyday occurrence for him to break into people's houses.

Perhaps for him, it was.

"Aye, sir!" Happy flew to Lucy's arms, his huge eyes pleading at her not to be mad as he nuzzled into her. Without thinking, she started petting the cat's soft blue fur, his gentle purrs relaxing her. Still she sighed, transferring her weight to one hip.

"Why don't you both go sleep in your own bed?"

"We don't have a bed," Happy lamented.

"You don't have a _bed_?" Lucy lifted the exceed to look him in the eye. Happy nodded forlornly. She squeezed him tighter.

 _Was Natsu just a roaming nomad who couch-surfs between jobs?_

She was beginning to wonder if she should have joined Team Natsu with so few questions.

"You should at least make sure Happy has a bed to sleep in," she chastised the pink-haired man, her arms encaged around the feline in a blissful snuggle.

Natsu dropped his arms to his sides, dark eyes narrowing at his exceed as his jaw clenched. "Oi! I don't have a bed, but we own a house! He's not out on the street or nothing."

Happy gave a pitiful mewl, looking more catlike than ever, nuzzling and bumping the bottom of her chin with the top of his head, inviting affection. She scratched around the silky scruff of his neck. She took him to her bed and gently tucked him under her duvet. He curled up in contentment and closed his eyes. Lucy turned back to face Natsu.

"Happy's more than welcome to stay here whenever he likes, but you can just go back to your own house," she told the dragon slayer.

The blue exceed stuck his tongue out at his best friend from behind Lucy's back, then gave a loud purr to show his partner how cozy he was.

The pinkette balked at the little traitor, crossing his arms over his chest. His biceps flexed over the open fabric of his vest even as his brows creased. A growl built deep inside him at the dismissal.

"No fair! Why does he get to stay but I don't?"

"Because he's a cat! You're a boy!" she stated the obvious.

"And…?"

 _Okay, not so obvious to some._

"I'm not sharing my bed with you!" she cried. There was no way the first time she slept beside a boy—even in a platonic arrangement—was that guy going to be _Natsu._ He'd probably accidentally set her on fire in his sleep or something.

"Aw, c'mon, Luce. It's late. Let me just catch a few hours of sleep here, then we'll go home." His emerald eyes grew huge, sparkling with fervor as his look froze her solid. Lucy found herself having to break his gaze, turning sharply.

She cleared her throat.

" _Fine,_ but you're sleeping on the couch."

"Awesome! Thanks, Luce!" He punched a fist into the air in celebration, glee oozing from his figure.

Lucy moved to her hallway linen closet and pulled out a pillow and blanket for Natsu. She made up the couch while he stood by and watched. After she threw the cushion in place, she stalked back towards her bedroom.

"Good night, Natsu," she grumbled.

"Night, Luce. Thanks for letting us stay over," he replied over his shoulder, settling into the couch. Fully clothed, _thank Mavis._

"Yeah, you're welcome. Don't wake me too early." She grumbled, closing her bedroom door and crawled back under her sheets. Happy was curled up and she reached out to pet him. His soft purrs soon lulled her to the verge of sleep.

Then a certain pink-haired _idiot_ started rapping on her door.

"Natsu, what is it now?" she huffed to the closed door. It was almost six in the morning.

"I forgot to tell ya something, can I come in?" His voice was muffled.

"Can't it wait until morning?" _Or afternoon,_ she amended mentally. She was drowsy; she pulled the cover a bit tighter around her and let her eyes close.

"I guess so…it was just a message from the frosty porn star, anyway," he muttered.

Lucy popped up like a jack-in-the-box, upright and swaying.

"Natsu, get in here!"

* * *

 ** _A/N - Have I mentioned what a phenomenal writer Satyrykal is? I have? Well, it's still worth repeating. Satyryrkal, Satyrykal, Satyrykal. She writes Boiling Point and The Edge_ _…totally worth checking out!_**

 ** _Okay, so even though we had Lucy upset over Gray and Juvia meeting, Natsu has broken into her apartment. And he'll probably just go to sleep on the couch like a good dragon, right? (Shifts eyes nervously around. Anyone buying this? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)_**

 ** _Thank you to all my reviewers from last time! MasterGildarts, AzmariaMinohi, Celistastar, Graciewashere33, Satyrykal, they call me Bridge, stranger1999, ShanaHollows, silver light of dawn!_**

 ** _Hiro Mashima announced that some new Fairy Tail will be coming out! I'm so excited, guys!_**


	11. Chapter 11- Picnic

_**Not all those who wander are lost.**_

 _ **\- J.R.R. Tolkien**_

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Picnic  
**

"Natsu, get in here!" Lucy called.

Her bedroom door flew open – Natsu a cackling blur as he ran.

He took a flying leap straight for her. Calculating her chances of avoiding impact,, she braced herself, throwing her arms up to protect her face. At the last possible second, the dragon slayer twisted his body in midair and whooshed past. He somersaulted, landing neatly at the end of her bed.

"Ta-da!" Arms spread wide, he posed for applause. He looked very pleased with himself, dark eyes glittering in the moonlight.

She huffed, not in the mood for his antics. "You could have hurt me!"

"Hurt you? Nah. I would never hurt you, Luce," Natsu replied, repositioning his legs to sit cross-legged on her mattress. She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling that ugly vein throbbing on her forehead again as he said, "Air manipulation is one of the first things Igneel taught me. It's Dragon Training 101."

Lucy clutched the duvet tighter to her breasts. "Who's Igneel?"

Natsu gave a huge, ear-to-ear smile, the tips of his fangs poking out from between his full lips. "He's my dad. He's this awesome fire dragon. Taught me how to use my magic and become a fire dragon slayer."

"You were raised by a dragon?" She canted her head to the side, her hair knotted from sleep. She wasn't sure if she believed him.

"Not just me, Lug Nuts and Wendy were, too. Laxus was raised by his dad, but he's a second generation dragon slayer. Me, Wends, and Iron Lung are first gen." He leaned back on his hands, his chest puffed up proudly as he explained.

It all seemed strange to her... dragons raising human children – air manipulation!

"If you can fly, how come you make Happy carry you around?" Tawny eyes narrowing as she worried the inside of her cheek. That seemed lazy to her, completely at odds with the ball of energy she knew him to be.

"Huh? I can't _fly._ I just know how to twist and turn my body in the air, is all," he scrunched his nose, brows drawn in confusion. "Plus, I can use my fire magic to jump super high? Wanna see?"

"No!" She panicked, waving her palms like he was a candle flame she could extinguish with a flap of her hands. There was zero chance she could let him start hopping around. He could easily blow through her ceiling. She shuddered to think how her landlady would react to the damages, not to mention the other residents of her building.

 _I don't even want to think about what my upstairs neighbours would say if Natsu came crashing into their place._

She gulped, _or worse...Levy…_

Natsu shrugged, the movement flexing his biceps. His scarf fell a bit forward so he tucked it over his shoulder distractedly. "Geez, lighten up already."

She shot him a piercing look to make sure he wasn't going to start his fire-jump demonstration. He just stared back at her, pine green swirling in his irises, half hidden in shadow – disgruntled but unmoving.

After several beats, she felt she'd won the Mexican standoff. The tension in her shoulders melted as she laid down once again, moving her pillow so her head was more comfortable, sinking into the feather down.

"How did Igneel teach you air manipulation?"

"He dropped me from high up. A lot."

Lucy chuckled. If Gray were here, she could see him making a remark about how appealing that must have been for Igneel, to just keep dropping Natsu from greater and greater heights, hoping he might go _splat_. She was sure he would volunteer for that job.

She perked up, remembering the fire wizard's words from earlier.

"Oh! What did Gray say?"

Natsu stretched out on the bed. She was alarmed for a second, but he just reached out to pet Happy. She let out a relieved sigh, relaxing as she affectionately stroked the sleeping exceed, too. Their hands not meeting, but brushing close together as he pet Happy's head and she gave him a few soft strokes to his back near his tail.

 _Happy really is adorable._ All of her prior sadness lifted away as her fingers combed through his silky fur. She just couldn't pet a slumbering cat and not feel content.

"He said to tell you he'd talk to you tomorrow and to give you a message," Natsu pulled Happy a bit closer to his own body, and Lucy let her hand fall away from the feline.

"What's the message?" Lucy tried for casual, but her voice came out far too high – too eager. Maybe Levy was right, maybe Gray didn't prefer Juvia. Maybe she still had a shot...

"That he would talk to you tomorrow!" He repeated, his lips pulling down at the corners. "I just said it! I thought a girl with this many books would be smart." He waved to the heaving bookshelf in her room, taking up most of one wall.

She blinked.

"Are you kidding me? That's _it_?"

 _This was why he had woken her up?_

"I _told_ ya it was just a message from Ice Pack. Not like he ever has anything important to say," he grumbled, running a hand through his spiky salmon locks, mussing up the strands.

Lucy bit her tongue. If Gray had important things to say, it was unlikely he would trust Natsu to get them right.

"Are you sure he didn't say: 'give her a message, I'll talk to her tomorrow'?"

"That's what I _just_ said!" Natsu exclaimed, puffing out his cheeks.

She was too tired to continue arguing with him. _Well, that was a big pile of nothing_. Her eyes slid closed and she pulled her blanket up to her throat, the fabric brushing against her pulse. She had no further answers, just more questions. Still, Gray had been considerate enough to want to pass along a message to her. Maybe all hope was not lost. She found herself grinning.

"Why do you have some weird look on your face?" Natsu asked, glancing at her sidelong.

She didn't bother to open her eyes, voice soft. "I'm smiling, Natsu. That's all."

"It's weird when people smile with their eyes closed." She could hear the teasing in his voice. Absently, she noted it had a gritty quality ot it – low and coarse; it was like running dry sand through her fingers.

"You can go back to the couch anytime now, Natsu." She mumbled. A breeze flitted through the room as a shiver ran through her, causing her teeth to chatter.

"Hey, want me to close your window? It's cold in here," Natsu offered, leveraging half his body up to peer down at her through his heavy lashes.

"No, don't!" Her eyes fluttered open, pupils wide. "I always sleep with it open!"

"Why? I mean, if you're cold…" Natsu sat up completely, folding his legs up to his chest. He rested his forearms loosely on his knees. _He_ looked perfectly comfortable in the chill of the room. Unlike her, goosebumps didn't blemish his skin.

The blonde huddled further into her duvet, trying to wrap herself up in a blanket burrito, trembling as she searched for _some_ warmth. Her room _was_ frigid, but she never closed her window, needing it open just a crack.

"Are you sure you want to hear about it?" She squeezed her eyes shut and huddled into the fetal position, tense and quaking.

"Yeah, for sure." Natsu spread out beside her again, propping his head up on his elbow, fingers disappearing into his messy locks.

From his vantage point above her, he could see how uncomfortable she was. Licking his lips, he cracked his fingers – subtly using his magic to heat the blankets. Lucy was so zonked, she didn't notice at first. After a few minutes, she gave a happy sigh as the chill seeped from her body. Her lips parted as she relaxed, inhaling deeply breaths. Suddenly, her hazelnut eyes opened to look at him through the darkness, hesitant as she spoke.

"Are you using your magic?"

He gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah. Just a bit. You looked really cold." He worried the inside of his cheek, expecting her to yell at him again.

"Thanks, Natsu," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. "I'm so comfy. You're not going to set me on fire, are you?"

"Nah…think I'll keep ya. You're my partner and all," he poured a bit more heat into the room, grinning when he saw Lucy relax even more, pleased at her response.

"Luce?"

"Hmmm?"

"You were going to tell me the story of why you keep your window open, even when it's freezing in your room," he reminded her, suppressing a smirk.

Time spooled out for several moments. Natsu locked eyes with the blonde. She loosened her death grip on the blankets as her core body temperature heated.

"Okay, but you have to promise first not to make fun of me," her voice soft.

He nodded vigorously. "Alright! Tell me."

Letting his head fall to the pillow, he elongated out beside her, Happy still snuggled between them. He didn't feel the cold the way other people did, but he still wished he could crawl under the blankets with Lucy. He knew she wouldn't like that though, so he stayed put.

"When I was a little girl, my dad traveled a lot for business and my mom and I went with him. She was a celestial wizard, too. She had some of the keys I have now. She passed them onto me when she died…" Lucy stalled for a second, her voice sounding dull and wooden to her own ears. Natsu didn't say anything, just let the silence draw out as he patiently waited for her to continue.

Lucy reached up to rub one tired eye. Her lids were swollen and tender from all the crying she had done earlier. She was sure she looked a fright, but it was just Natsu. He didn't care what she looked like.

"My mom and I would travel with my dad on business trips. He would often work very late, sometimes all night. I used to get frightened in the strange hotel rooms with nothing familiar around me, so my mom and I would sleep in the same bed. We would stay up late talking and laughing…" She paused to blink back a few tears, a tightness burning in her throat; she knew she was getting to the hard part.

Lucy stared up at the shadowy ceiling, trying to will away the agony that came from thinking about her mom. In the decade since her momma past away, she hadn't stopped needing her. The loss cut like a surgeon's scalpel, bleeding her out.

It took a few shaky breaths before she felt ready to continue.

"But when she got sick, she couldn't do much." She averted her eyes away from the fire mage, sketching abstract patterns on her duvet with her fingertips. "On the last trip we all went on together, my dad was working late, _as usual_." She didn't try to keep the irritation out of her voice and Natsu got the impression this was a well-worn argument she consistently had with her father.

Lucy gnawed on her bottom lip, releasing it with a soft _tsk._

"I didn't know it would be our last trip…no one did. She just knew she was tired a lot, but the doctors hadn't figured anything out. She wanted to come with us. It was our routine...to go as a family. Even if my dad was busy, she always set up special outings by finding a little cafe or bookstore...or we'd just walk all day exploring new cities and going sightseeing.

"On this trip, it was the end of a really long day. I was homeschooled, so the tutors went with us everywhere. I'd taken a hard test that afternoon and was more tired than usual," she yawned, her bones aching as she thought of how tired she was _now._

Natsu stared at her attentively, giving a soft encouraging grunt that she should go on.

"It was really foggy, you couldn't see a _thing_ outside. I had just crawled under the covers when my mom asked me to open the window. I was grumpy about having to get out of bed when I had just gotten in it. Besides, it was supposed to rain during the night, so why did she need the window open? But I did what she asked. When I laid back down, she held me close to her – _really tight_ – and said that even though I couldn't see them, as long as I had the window open, I could smell the stars and know she was with me."

She curled inward, her voice wavering.

"I was eight years old," she said, pain flickering in her eyes. "She died a couple of months after that. You can never see the night sky from my bed, but I always sleep with my window open...so I...so…" she stammered a bit and her last words came out in a hushed whisper. "So I c-can sm-smell the stars."

She pressed her face against her pillow, embarrassment shooting through her veins. Maybe it would seem like a children's fable to anyone else, but it was the last story she had from her mom. It was precious to her.

It was silent for several moments, the room had lost its icy bite, but the heated air grew heavy.

Lucy's heart gave an awkward thump, scared that in spite of his promise, Natsu might mock her. He stared at her for long moments, his emerald eyes turned olive.

"That's awesome, Luce." His voice rough yet gentle at the same time.

"I think I can smell the stars right now." He gave a huge sniff in the air. "Definitely. I can smell 'em!"

Lucy gave a relieved smile. She had never told anyone this before, not even Levy. It was hard for her to talk about her mom without getting sad.

Grief shrouded her in a heavy cloak, weighing her down. And yet, somehow it hollowed her out...the parts that counted, anyway. That was how she usually felt on the rare occasions she spoke of her mama's death – scooped out like a hardboiled egg yoke.

Somehow though, watching Natsu inhale the air in utter contentment beside her, as if he was drawing rarified breath from the celestial heavens, she felt happier and lighter for having shared the story with the fire mage.

"That's great, Natsu. I smell them, too." She gave another smile with her eyes closed. With a long sigh, she slipped into unconsciousness, chest rising and falling evenly.

The pink-haired man grinned at his blonde partner, cheek muscles straining. She _was_ weird, but that's what he liked about her. He liked a lot of things about her, actually.

Her honey hair was a messy swirl around her head and she was gently snoring. He was _definitely_ going to tease her about that, knowing she would deny it.

Warmth pooled within him, tingling through his limbs as he reclined beside her. He liked that she had talked to him about her Mom...and smelling the stars. The funny part was, he hadn't been humouring her when he said he could smell them. The tinge of ozone, petrichor and stardust.

He just hadn't concentrated on trying to catch the scent prior to this. But Lucy was making him see a lot of things differently than he ever had before.

Natsu watched the sky start to brighten– the heavy navy chased away by the lighter shades of lavender, vermilion and buttery lemon of the sunrise.

He spared a thought to how different him and Lucy were in that way – she would always prefer the night and he revelled in the heat of the day.

He rolled his neck, working out the kinks, humming to himself.

Although the sun was a star and it was hot. So maybe stars weren't so bad. On that thought, his eyes drifted shut of their own accord and soon he was fast asleep.

* * *

Lucy's eyelids fluttered open, smiling at what an amazing sleep she had. According to her alarm clock, it was 2:16 in the afternoon. She didn't even care that she had slept most of the day away, considering the hour she'd finally gone to sleep. A slight shifting warned her she wasn't alone in the bed.

 _Happy, you little blue lazy bones._

She let herself indulge in a huge, all-over body stretch, feeling her neck pop a bit and her toes crack. She rolled over to wake up the tiny exceed only to find he was no longer beside her.

Natsu was though.

 _Eep!_ She patted herself down, thankful she wasn't naked, her pulse erratic. She _knew_ she had drank too much at that party. _Stupid Cana._

But she was doubly stupid for going along with it. Raking her fingers through her tangles, she recollected the events of last night, ending with Natsu breaking into her apartment and them talking for awhile in her bed while petting Happy. She figured the dragon slayer had just been too tired to think of going back to the couch and had nodded off next to her.

On the plus side, he _had_ used his magic to warm her up and she ended up having one of the best night's rest she'd had in her entire life. Of course, she wouldn't tell him that. She giggled, she wouldn't want him habitually breaking into her place.

She looked over at the man beside her. His normally expressive face was slackened with sleep, softening the angular planes of his face. He wasn't under any blankets and his black vest had fallen open, revealing golden tanned skin and his sleek toned his chest.

Her mouth felt a bit parched.

 _He must work out a lot._ No one could maintain a six pack like that, as if the lines were sculpted, without some serious hours logged in at the gym. Not to mention his arms and shoulders were corded with muscle, looking like he was flexing even when he was not.

His thick rosey hair was spiked in tufts shooting out in all directions at the front, flopping over his forehead. It was a deep salmon colour, far more beautiful than her own plain blonde locks. She fingered the flaxen strands absently.

 _Did you just say Natsu's hair is beautiful?_ She caught the thought but dismissed it, chalking it up to the fact pink was her favourite colour.

Discomforted, she hastily slipped out of bed, throwing on her bathrobe and grabbing some clothes from her closet, making her way into the bathroom. She washed her face and fixed her hair into a side ponytail, smoothing down the errant locks. She had just finished brushing her teeth when someone started knocking at her door, the thuds echoing through the apartment.

"Coming!" she called, rinsing off her toothbrush. Erza was standing at her entrance, aluminum catering trays piled up to her chin and overstuffed reusable grocery bags hanging from her arms.

"Erza! What's all this?" Lucy reached out for the top container.

"I took the liberty of bringing you some of the leftovers from the party last night." The woman informed her, making her way inside. Lucy's eyes bulged as she followed the requip mage into her kitchen. The celestial wizard started going through the bags while the redhead stacked the trays on her table.

"I don't think I need this much food, Erza. maybe I should give half to Levy."

"I already gave Levy an equal amount. Her expression was all the thanks I needed."

 _I'll bet._ But she was thankful. The blonde knew the bookworm wasn't much of a cook.

"I honestly don't think I can fit all this food in my fridge."

"Nonsense." The Titania knelt with determination and, with a bit of finessing and sheer will, she managed to Tetris far too many tinfoil containers into the fridge.

Lucy had the sudden flaring image of the fridge exploding the second she tripwired an item by shifting it.

"Did someone say there was food? I'm starving." Natsu came into the room, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

Lucy's heart dropped as Erza straightened, pulling herself to her full height. Natsu yawned and scratched at his bedhead, grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl they had just filled.

The requip wizard's sharp eyes took in the blonde still clad in her white bathrobe and Natsu's heavy yawn and disheveled appearance. The celestial mage held the robe closed around her throat.

"Lucy, I knew you were in distress last night, but I had no idea you would rebound with Natsu!" she wailed, reaching to pull her friend in a consoling hug, smashing the stellar wizard into her Heart Kreuz armour-covered chest. Natsu gave a disgruntled snort. He didn't see what business it was of Erza's to question who Lucy ended up with.

"Melffp!" The blonde tried to call for help but it was hard to speak. She endured the bone-crushing embrace, counting three Mississippi's before she was finally released.

"Erza, about your hugs…" she started, trying to catch her breath.

Erza beamed at her. "They're the best, right? Everyone always tells me I give the tightest hugs."

"I wouldn't argue with that, but…" The words dried up in her throat. Her friend looked so pleased with herself, she just couldn't tell her. She caught Natsu's attention from the corner of her eye, who shrugged, focused on peeling a banana.

"About last night, nothing happened between Natsu and I. He…" Lucy caught sight of the fire mage's panicked look. He clearly didn't want Erza to know he'd broken into her apartment.

 _Probably with good reason._

"He came over last night, to make sure I got home safe," she blushed at the fib, "and we were talking, and petting Happy, and I guess we just fell asleep beside each other."

"Yeah, that's what happened," Natsu agreed instantly, no hesitation in his words. "See? Lucy even made up the couch for me." He lead the warrior woman into the living room where his blanket and pillow were. Erza nodded, seeming satisfied that no funny business had occurred.

"Natsu, you can take a bunch of this food home later, if you want. I'll never finish it all before it goes bad," Lucy offered, watching as his face lit up.

"Erza, did you have fun at the party last night?" she asked, changing topics.

The saffron-haired beauty gave a radiant smile. "It was the best party I think Fairy Tail has ever had. I had a lovely time, Lucy. It was gratifying to see so many members of our guild in one place, having fun. I understand that Levy overindulged, but she seemed perfectly fine when I visited her this afternoon. You also seem to be in a better mood?" She confirmed.

Lucy nodded. It was true, she realized. She _had_ been torn up last night, but talking to Natsu made her feel way better.

Without being addled by alcohol, she was questioning if Juvia was as obsessed as she had seemed last night. Maybe in the cold light of day, everything would look a bit different.

Lucy brushed her hair back away from her temple. "I'm just going to finish getting ready. Do you guys want to go to the guild together and find a job? I can meet up with you in about fifteen minutes."

"That's a wonderful idea. Come, Natsu. Let's leave Lucy in peace," she said pointedly, before waving goodbye to Lucy and gliding out her front door.

"Yeah, okay. Catch ya later, weirdo." He was leaning against the wooden frame of her open door. Lucy followed behind to see him out.

"Hey, I'm not the weirdo. You're the one who broke into my apartment and snuck into bed with me," Lucy reminded him, keeping her voice low so the requip mage didn't overhear.

"Yeah, but we had fun, didn't we?" Natsu gave a toothy grin and winked at her, his jade eyes mischievous. He didn't bother to wait for a response. He sauntered away, letting the door swing closed behind him. Lucy found herself smiling in her now-emptied apartment.

"Yeah, Natsu. We had fun," she whispered to herself, a grin creeping onto her face without her permission.

"I knew it!" His shout came from far away.

 _Stupid dragon-enhanced hearing,_ she thought,but her teeth flashed as she smiled wide.

Then she heard the unmistakable sound of metal cracking across flesh. She pulled open her door and was unsurprised to see Natsu about four doors down, splayed out on the floor, rubbing the top of his head. He glared up at The Red Tyrant.

The requip mage gave a nod of acknowledgment to Lucy. "Excuse my uncouth friend here. I hope he didn't disturb any of your neighbours."

She grabbed Natsu by a hunk of pink hair, dragging him across the carpeted hallway. He made no move to stand or try to resist. He just crossed his arms in front of his chest as he was dragged along the corridor like a sack of potatoes. He stuck his tongue out, knowing the The Titania couldn't see his face.

Lucy giggled at the sight of the disgruntled fire wizard being manhandled by Erza. Natsu's eyes shot up to reach hers and a huge smile spread across his face. She gave a wave and he waved back before he was hauled out of view. Then she retreated back inside her apartment to finish getting ready.

* * *

Gajeel Redfox was a man on a mission. He needed to find Levy.

He had spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning, as he replayed the fight they had over and over in his mind. He was wrong to have questioned who she danced with – _whom_ she danced with? He wrinkled his nose in irritation.

He recalled her saying that at one point, but he wasn't certain which was the correct term. In the end, it didn't really matter.

She was a grown woman and deserved to make her own choices. He had never been jealous before, but seeing the blunette last night had provoked some weird territorial instincts inside of him. Those were his feelings, not hers, though.

Despite what some might say (not in front of him, if they valued breathing) but he had actually developed a pretty strict moral code since joining Fairy Tail.

For the first time in a long while, he actually felt ashamed of himself. A sick, rolling sensation gripped his stomach and panic girthed his chest. He hadn't felt anxiety like this in a long, long time.

He had to get rid of it. The only way he knew how was by talking to the little shrimp.

By first light, he'd found himself trudging through the city streets, hands shoved in his pockets as he went to confront her. He tried her apartment first, but she had been asleep. He didn't even bother knocking, guessing correctly that she would _not_ appreciate him waking her up.

Exhaling through his nose, he'd scratched his chin before turning on his heel. He'd gone to the guild for a bit and found himself a mission to go on the next day, but by the time he'd wandered back to her apartment, she was gone.

It was harder to follow her scent outside. Lots of women used vanilla-scented lotions and sprays. It all smelled artificial to him. Bakeries used vanilla beans and orange zest, but nothing captured the pure Levy essence. All it did was confuse his nose and send him on a wild goose chase.

He was ready to just go back to her apartment and wait— _like a goddamn stalker—_ when he caught a faint trail of her scent leading to the park. He followed his nose and eventually found her sitting on a bench.

She was wearing a pink dress, the shade reminding Gajeel of strawberry ice cream. She looked more delectable than any dessert too, with a matching headband ribboned through her wavy blue hair and creamy satin ballet flats. The bookworm sat with her legs crossed, a novel open in her hands, engrossed in its pages.

She was the most captivating thing he'd ever seen.

He stepped toward her, hands in his pockets, the long shadow he cast greying out the pages of her book. Her irritated amber eyes confronted him.

"Oh, it's you." Her tone was flat but her eyes were sharp. "What do you want, Gajeel? Come to play more counting games with me? If so, I'm not interested."

"No, I didn't come for that." He took a seat on the bench beside her without waiting for her to invite him. If he did, he doubt he'd receive one. She stiffened slightly but didn't budge an inch.

"You know, most people are afraid of me," the dragon slayer said matter-of-factly, tossing back his unruly black hair, flowing behind him like a shock of raven feathers.

Levy uncrossed her legs and fixed him with a cold, flinty stare that could have flecked paint off walls. "I'm not like _most people_. Besides, running away isn't my style."

"Mine either," he admitted.

"So…is that why you hunted me down? Some awesome argument occurred to you at 3 am and you thought we could resume our fight?" Levy hazarded. "Because I've got better things to do." She pointedly picked up her paperback and riffled through the pages, angling her body slightly away from him.

"No. I came to tell you I'm sorry, Shrimp," he said in a gravelly voice, pinching a metal stud near his elbow.

Her movements stilled, mouth dropping open in shock, her eyes swerving up to meet his.

The iron slayer hastily added, "You didn't need my permission to dance or talk or have fun. I was an ass and I owe you an apology…" he didn't break eye contact, because he wasn't some goddamn pussy, but it was tough.

"So there. I said it," Gajeel finished in a rush, practically tripping over the words. He hated admitting he was wrong and couldn't wait to get this over with.

Levy stared at him for a long moment, her scent telling him nothing of her thoughts.

"Apology accepted," she finally said.

He raised a suspicious eyebrow, the steel reflecting in the light "Just like that?"

"Just like that." She snickered, "We both belong to Fairy Tail. Being part of the same guild means there shouldn't be animosity between us. Besides, I'm not the type to hold grudges."

He had no idea what the word 'animosity' meant, but caught the gist of what she was saying.

She had the most direct gaze of any woman he'd ever known, save Erza. But where the redhead's brown eyes made Gajeel want to gulp and avoid direct eye contact at all costs, Levy's heated taffy gaze pulled him into a place he'd never known – somewhere safe and warm and spoke of home.

Levy broke their stare and cleared her throat. She started fiddling with the hem of her dress, rubbing the material between her thumb and index finger.

Gajeel shifted his weight, wondering if he was just supposed to leave now. She hadn't dismissed him, but she didn't seem overly interested in keeping a conversation going, either. Her vanilla and tangerine scent was _intoxicating_ and after spending hours trying to find it, he couldn't leave so soon. He found himself struggling to find something to say.

"What's your book about, Shrimp?"

Levy's face brightened, her eyes alight on the cover of the novel she was reading. "It's about a family, mainly about the relationships between four sisters and their parents. The eldest sister has just left home to go study music."

"Sounds boring," he grunted, not willing to feign interest. He didn't think he'd pull it off convincingly either way.

Levy rolled her eyes at him. "Here. Why don't you borrow it? It's a great book."

Gajeel took the book in his massive hands and opened it, flipping through it briefly. The writing was small, the paragraphs dense. It was a behemoth of nearly six hundred pages. He knew there was no way he'd ever get through it in this lifetime.

He gently handed it back to her, as if his calloused hands could damage it. "I can't read something like this." He felt his ears go red.

"Read something like wh…" Levy cut herself off as she looked at the iron-dragon slayer's embarrassed face. He meant something complex, something difficult to understand. She felt her own face blush in sympathy.

"Why don't I read you my favourite passage so far?" she offered, pretending to have a hard time finding the proper page to let both their faces cool in the October breeze. She caught Gajeel's brief nod out of the corner of her eye.

"She's talking about opera music here," the blunette explained for context and saw the man bob his head again. When she found what was looking for, her finger tracing the text, she read out loud.

" _It's nothing to do with the words, which are in a foreign language, or the story, which most people do not know. It's because a real and beautiful voice delicately rends the chest, discovers the heart and holds it beating against a stainless edge until you long to be pierced utterly._

 _For the voice is everything you do not remember. Everything you should not be able to live without and yet, tragically, do."_

Gajeel sat, stunned and speechless. He had never heard words strung together more eloquently, made all the more beautiful by Levy's silky voice like a caress in his ear.

His mind buzzed and if he had been in front of anyone else, he would've snorted and pretended the words hadn't affected him. But he didn't want to do that...not with her.

He wasn't a poetic man, but he felt he could say this, "I feel the same way about music."

Levy cast the paperback aside and met his eyes. There was only stark honesty written in the crimson orbs, as if the brute she'd met earlier was all but forgotten "So do I. Maybe we have something in common."

"Do you like that sort of music? Opera?" His nose wrinkled in disgust, the movement pulling at his lips to reveal sharp canines.

Levy burst out laughing. "A bit, yes. My family and I go once a year at Christmas time. It's something special we do together."

"Do ya miss 'em? Your mom and dad, I mean?" He wasn't sure what compelled him to ask, but he found he wanted to know her better, thinking it was a good enough way to keep the conversation going. He still wasn't ready to leave.

"Yes," she said simply. "I have wonderful parents."

She went to tuck her novel into the khaki backpack at her feet.

"Have you eaten lunch?" She asked as she pulled out a container and a tinfoil covered lump out of the backpack.

She unwrapped a chicken salad sandwich and offered him half. He took it with a nod of thanks, taking an enormous bite, ripping into the bread. She took the lid off the container, there was sushi inside it. Then she dug around the backpack for a couple of packets of soy sauce and wasabi.

"I don't have extra chopsticks but, oh hey! I found a fork." She handed him the utensil still in its blue plastic wrapper. She pulled out several paper napkins, passing him a few.

Gajeel generally wiped his hands on his pants, not caring much about stains, but he obediently took the serviettes.

"You brought a lot of food for a little shrimp."

"I had high hopes, I guess." Levy shrugged. She turned to look him, resting her chin on her shoulder.

He thought she looked unbelievably pretty like that—body in profile, but her angelic face staring straight at him—huge caramel eyes flecked with gold, the afternoon sunlight streaking through her azure hair.

"You should see my fridge," she groused, as he struggled to keep his face impassive. "Erza brought leftovers from the party and it's far too much. I was planning to leave some bread for the birds."

Gajeel had finished his half of the sandwich, so he had nothing to offer. Levy tore the crusts off her half and handed them to him.

"I don't like the crust," she explained. He rendered the bread into small bits while she ate some more sushi.

He threw the crumbs toward a family of finches, watching them come to peck up the treat. A lone robin joined them for a share of the food.

"Do you want the rest? I don't think I can finish it." Levy offered her untouched half of sandwich. Gajeel used his fork to scoop out the chicken salad, saving the rest for the birds.

"You know, I've never done this before." Gajeel gestured to the food in front of them, spearing a piece of unagi and popping it in his mouth, savouring the salty flavour of eel and the crunch of cucumber. He stretched his arms, muscles flexing, enjoying being in the hot sun with a beautiful girl on a blue-skied cloudless day. Contentment seeped into him.

"You've never picnicked before?" Levy asked, astonished. "Why not?"

"Dunno. No one's ever offered." He shrugged. "Do you picnic a lot?" He found himself warming up to the idea that this was something new for her, too.

Only to have his burgeoning hopes dashed to the ground in the next instant.

"Sure. Jet and Droy come here with me all the time."

So much for thinking he might be special.

"Huh," he gave a low grunt, but concentrated on feeding the birds, making sure _not_ to chuck the bread halfway to Hargeon. He avoided Levy's stare, but knew she was watching him. He finished scattering the crumbs and balled up his used napkin inside the tinfoil. With a quick flick of the wrist, he shot it straight into the wastebasket across from them. It was easily a 3-pointer.

"Still a showoff, I see," Levy teased.

"I ain't gonna change, Shrimp," he warned, his voice deep and rumbling.

" _Aren't_ going to change. And I'm not going to stop correcting you," Levy said.

"Waste of your time," he grumbled, folding his arms across his chest, a tightness coiling in him as he clenched his jaw.

"That's for me to decide, isn't it? I don't think it's a waste," she said softly.

Why did those words make him so happy?

Levy was rummaging through her backpack again, pulling out a navel orange. The smell hit his nostrils and he sat there stupefied as he watched her take out another brown paper napkin and unfold it on her lap.

She was digging under the skin, trying to take it apart in one piece, the peel coming off like a strip of ribbon. She almost made it, but at the very end, it broke away, leaving a small bit of rind intact, clinging to the bottom of the fruit.

"Darn it." Her hands faltered for a second, then she finished scraping the epicarp, discarding the skin to the side. She used her thumbnail to rub off the pith, taking her time. She divided the fruit into segments, laying them out on a second napkin and offering the slices up to him.

The movement of her holding the orange right under his nose snapped him out of the spell he'd been under. He leapt up, almost knocking it right out of her hands. The assault on his senses was too much.

"I gotta go!" His voice high – reedy and panicked.

Levy shot him a quizzical look but he couldn't spare her another thought. He needed to leave _now._ He bolted out of the park before he changed his mind or before his instincts betrayed him.

Levy stared at the iron-dragon slayer's retreating figure.

 _Well, that was odd,_ she thought.

* * *

 ** _A/N: The book Levy is reading and quoting from is called Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. The direct quote from the book is in italics and I give full credit to the author._**

 _ **Thanks to the amazing Satyrykal for editing this chapter. You are fantastic!**_

* * *

 ** _A/N - My other story,_ _If The Shoe Fits_ _, has been updated with its second chapter. The story is a gift for Satyrykal (I like her a lot...and in my defense, she started it with writing a story for me, The Edge). My story is Cinderella/Nalu themed, rated M. Hers is Beauty and The Beast/Nalu themed (also M). We both enjoy fairytales/Fairy Tail and have an insatiable need to write. Our craziness is your gain!_**

 ** _Thank you to everyone who continues to read, support and follow my stories! Honestly, I love you guys so much. x_**

 ** _Gratitude is given to last chapter's reviewers! Requenzel, JAKEDSNAKE, CathJorda (x2!), Guest, ligerscool, Duchixx, MasterGildarts, stranger1999, AzmariaMinochi, Celistastar, they call me Bridge, noseinabook145, Graciewashere33, Satyrykal, ShanaHollows, and TheJSmooth!_**


	12. Chapter 12 - Love Rivals

**Chapter Twelve: Love Rivals**

Lucy dressed quickly, mindful that Erza was a stickler for tardiness. And by 'stickler,' she meant: _Most likely to stick you with the sharp end of a sword._

Probably the caption under Erza's yearbook photo.

She smiled indulgently at the thought of the redhead, gratified to hear Erza had enjoyed the party. She made her way into the bathroom, deciding to forego makeup, opting only to put some lip balm on her lips. She fingered the label, it was called 'Honeydew Lip-do is Due' and the writer in Lucy couldn't resist the homonyms.

Heading down the stairs, she tried Levy's apartment, but the blunette wasn't home. She wished she was, she wouldn't mind some good, solid Levy advice on dealing with Gray and Juvia.

 _I should have talked it over with her last night. Oh well, time to be an adult! You've got this!_ she told herself, trying to rally her thoughts and cheer herself up.

It wasn't working.

Her composure when discussing the water woman with Erza had officially fled. She had never seen Juvia acting so... _exuberant_ as she had last night. If her affection had been directed at anyone other than Gray, Lucy would've found it funny and sweet. The girl had always been reserved back when they were with Mermaid Heel.

Except for the 'love rival' part. That shit was just plain weird.

However, if Lucy was being truthful, Juvia was just saying things that the blonde herself had been thinking internally. How many times had she stared longingly at Gray's gorgeous body, thinking sinful thoughts?

 _Forty-six times._ Or thereabouts. She hadn't consulted her journal this morning.

Still, the idea of walking into the guildhall and seeing those two canoodling had her steps slowing right down. Her heart constricted at the very thought. Only the faint hope that she might be mistaken propelled her forward, her boots scraping against the cobblestone streets.

That, and the fact Erza would literally kill her if she bailed on her first team mission.

She consulted her watch, finding she only had sixty seconds to spare before her allotted fifteen minutes were up. She rushed through the doors, pushing past the wood-grain barrier and spotted the redhead immediately.

"Hi Erza, I made it." She tried to smile, but she could tell her mouth wasn't twisting upward properly, contorting her lips into a partial grimace.

The redhead gave her a piercing look, which Lucy tried to avoid by sliding into the tight corner booth beside her. It was a calculated move. People tended to stare less at the person beside them rather than the across them.

Speaking of her _real_ Erza-shield…

"Where's Natsu?" Lucy asked, peering around the room, searching for a shock of pink.

"He's with Happy at the request board, picking out a mission."

"Oh, okay." She half stood up, bending in several places like a camel trying to stand. She always had an easier time getting into restrictive places than getting herself out. Grace had never been her best feature.

"I should go tell Mira we're ready to order. I could really use a cup of coffee. I know it's kind of late for caffeine, but I didn't get to sleep until dawn, what with Natsu…" Erza's narrow-eyed stare caused the babbling words to stick like mud in Lucy's throat. "...Him coming over to check on me. Can I grab you a cup? Do you take cream and sug–"

Her friend clucked her tongue, gaze sharp. The blonde flinched under it.

"Lucy. We should discuss what happened last night between you, Gray and Juvia," the requip wizard said firmly, patting the seat beside her.

Lucy sighed. Her first instinct was to bluff her ass off and pretend she had no idea what Erza was talking about...but she knew it would do her no good. She slumped back into her seat, body going limp as she resettled.

"What happened between Gray and I was this: we danced for a while last night and I…um…tried to flirt?" It came out as a question, but Erza nodded at her to continue.

"I asked him to go for a walk outside, but before we could get there, Levy got sick and I went to take care of her. I honestly don't know what happened between Gray and Juvia. When I went outside, I found her on her own and she was saying that they had talked and it was...love at first sight."

"Hmm...more like lust at first sight," Erza declared, as if she were an expert on the subject. The blonde decided not to question it.

Lucy shrugged with her palms open to the sky. "I've been there, too," she confessed. "But who knows what really happened?"

"Get the hell off of me!"

Lucy heard his voice before she saw him, a shirtless Gray sprinting into the guildhall, with a distraught Juvia hot on his heels.

 _Forty-seven times!_ The thought was automatic – Lucy wanted to ring a bell in the middle of the guild. At the very least, a herald should be announcing stuff like this.

Not for the first time, she was grateful no one could read her mind. She felt a flush climb from her neck to her hairline.

It didn't matter how many times she saw him half naked. _Every_ time was like Christmas – a gift to cherish. Gray's silky yet oh-so-defined chest could've been carved out of ice with a chisel.

He could put on a one-man play of himself stripping on stage, doing nothing but crunches and people would line up to see it. Hell, she wanted a front-row seat. She already had the perfect title: _Abdos Six._

She'd pay good money to see that. And she knew she wasn't the only one. Although, since this was _her_ idea, and strictly in her imagination, she mentally tossed everyone else out. She wanted a private screening.

The object of her affections was currently turning around to speak to Juvia, showing Lucy his backside. The rear view was every bit as good as the front. The blonde's mouth filled with saliva and she took a hefty gulp of air.

 _Better than Christmas._

He was the unexpected gift that just kept on giving. He really was ideal in every single way and she would fight anyone who said otherwise. She snorted to herself at that, sniggering at how polar opposite her reaction to the ice mage was in comparison to Natsu… who only ever wanted to fight _with_ Gray. The type of fighting Lucy had in mind was _very_ different...more like wrestling...clothing optional wrestling. Which seemed to suit the stripping ice-mage _just_ fine.

Juvia started hugging the noirette with a high pitched squeal. The sound reverberated through her as Lucy fell out of her reverie. Juvia was _really_ cutting into her Gray Fantasy Funtime. The daydream bubble burst like a pin to a water balloon, dousing the stirring warmth inside her heart…and loins.

"My darling Gray! Juvia only wanted to express her undying love and devotion to you!" Juvia wailed, trying to wrap herself around him from behind, almost climbing on top of his back like a ring-tailed lemur.

He wretched his body away from hers, grabbing her by the shoulders and attempting to keep an arm's length distance between the two of them.

"Look, Juvia, I told you last night. I have a stripping habit. I didn't give you my shirt ' _as a love token_ '."

"Juvia doesn't believe you. Our love is destined to be, Gray-sama." The water woman threw herself at his ankles, wrapping both arms around them. Gray stared in disbelief at the water woman shackling herself to him like quicksand.

"Sweet Mavis, why me?" he pleaded to the celestial heavens, his fingers ripping at the roots of his hair.

Lucy stood stockstill as she took in the scene, willing herself not to react.

 _He doesn't like Juvia, he doesn't like Juvia, he doesn't like Juvia!_ The rejoicing chant repeated over and over in her mind. It was like witnessing a miracle.

 _I was blind, but now I see._

Lucy knew she shouldn't be revelling in Gray's very publicly rejection of the water mage, but she couldn't help it. The relief flooding through her veins so powerful, she sagged back in her seat.

"Lucy! A little help?" Gray's eyes met hers, gesturing to the bawling mess that was one of her best friends.

The blonde stood, moving towards him. Then, a water blast threw her halfway across the room. She landed a scant two inches away from the stone wall, sopping wet and bruised. She sat dripping...stunned. Then found her bearings once again.

"Juvia! What the _hell_?" She shrieked as she pushed her clinging bangs away from her face, struggling to stand up under the weight of her soaking limbs.

The Juvia she knew, her childhood friend, seemed to be gone. Instead of the sweet, shy wizard she had practically grown up with, a rabid, insane woman had replaced her.

Juvia's eyes were possessed– flitting and blinking rapidly like a camera caught in continuous shooting mode. Her hair was curling wildly around her head and she let forth a menacing, territorial growl at Lucy.

 _Madly in love or just mad?_ Lucy thought, studying the other girl.

Juvia gathered her magic in her hands, a fierce expression on her face. She threw sanity off like water off a hissing cat.

The rain woman directed a second wave blasting toward her. On sheer instinct, Lucy flicked out her whip, catching it on Juvia's cheek as she managed to deflect the water slightly, but the celestial wizard still got drenched, as did everything else in her immediate radius. Reedus stared in shock at his ruined painting. Lucy spared it a quick glance, not sure what the initial portrait was, but now the tones were all bleeding together into abstract drippy swirls. Thanks to Juvia, it was now a watercolour.

The blonde looked at her friend and saw her leather whip had left a welt on the Juvia's snowy white skin, blood sliding down her cheek.

"Love rival!" The water woman squeezed her hands together, preparing to redouble her onslaught once more, when Natsu suddenly bounced in between them, cutting the tension like a knife.

"Found it! The perfect job!" The dragon slayer shoved the mission in her face. Then took a hasty step back as he noted her bedraggled appearance. He blinked twice.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" He cocked his head to side, cupping the side of his neck underneath his scaly white scarf. She could only gape at him, wide-eyed.

"Seriously? You have enhanced dragon sight and hearing and you didn't notice Juvia start attacking me?"

"Huh?" He scratched his head, twisting around to see the girl in question, who stood like a one-woman SWAT team, just waiting for Natsu to move out of the way so she could get a clear shot.

He gave a careless shrug. "Guess I didn't notice."

"Are you kidding me?" Her scream could wake the dead. Natsu ignored her, turning instead to look at rain mage. From that angle, she couldn't see the jade flashing in his eyes

"Yo, blue banana!" Natsu waved both arms frantically. The blunette didn't respond, her entire focus on the celestial mage.

Natsu put two fingers in his mouth, a shrill noise piercing the air, making both girls jump. It was the type of whistle used to hail taxicabs in large metropolitan cities and—in Lucy's opinion as she rubbed her ears—it should never be used indoors. _Ever._

"Yeah, that's it! Over here!" Natsu waved one hand in front of the water wizard's face as if he were working with a skittish colt. Juvia shot daggers at him with her full-on crazy eyes, but he was undeterred. "Lucy's _my_ partner and I dunno why you're fighting with her, but if you wanna fight, you're going to have to get through _me_ first."

Natsu crossed his arms in front of his chest and stood in front of the celestial wizard, stance wide and at the ready. She could see the tension in the rippling, muscled lines of his body, as if he were poised to strike, to defend.

His _partner_ had no interest in his caveman posturing.

Lucy slugged him in the shoulder. "Of all the chauvinist, antiquated notions! You are _such_ a pompous _ass!_ I don't need you fighting for me, Natsu!"

She smacked him once more for good measure, almost breaking four bones in her hand in the process.

 _What the hell is he made of...marble?_

"What? I'm trying to help, Lucy!" He shook his head like she was being totally unreasonable. What was so wrong for standing up for his friends?

"I don't _need_ your help! I'm perfectly capable of holding my own in a fight!" she snapped – a dozen memories of others making her decisions for her caused a familiar agitation to crawl up her spine, always trying to protect her, to shield her... _for her own good._ Her eyes narrowed into slits and suddenly it wasn't a pink-haired man she was seeing, but one with pale blonde hair that matched her own. Natsu growled and the image dissipated.

He was arguing with her. "That's not what I said! I _said…"_

"You two are partners?" Juvia interrupted, looked from left to right at the arguing pair, her expression dazed.

Natsu answered first, pulling Lucy beside him and dropping his arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Yup! Through thick and thin!"

"Lucy's the thick part!" Happy cried out. She whirled in the feline's direction, coffee-coloured eyes blazing.

"I'm going to _kill you_ , cat!" Lucy seethed at the exceed who was sitting at the bar, eating a free fish from Mira.

"Lucy-san is not Juvia's rival in love?" The fervoured look drained from Juvia's eyes, and her hands fell listlessly to her sides, her shoulders slumping in relief.

"Luce?" Natsu burst out laughing, slapping his thigh like it was the best joke he had ever heard.

The blonde stared at the dragon slayer's back, feeling her face grow hot. She could be a love rival if she wanted to be! But she didn't see the point in saying anything. She didn't enjoy fighting with Juvia.

The water mage glided up to her, voice trembling, "Juvia is sorry for the misunderstanding."

Her eyes were brimming with tears, but Lucy wasn't sure if she trusted her anymore, taken aback by her earlier display. The woman's emotions towards Gray were so overwhelming – a tidal wave that would sweep any preconceived 'love rival' away...

 _And very likely drown them,_ Lucy finished the thought. She looked across the room, her chocolate eyes clashing with Gray's sapphire ones, his expression completely unreadable. Her stomach lurched and she bit her lip, turning back to Juvia.

"Yeah, it's okay, Juvy." The nickname harkened back to their school days at Mermaid Heel, where the blunette had once commented she didn't have a nickname. Hence Levy, Lucy and Juvy became the 'Y team.' Whenever anyone asked why, their standard answer was, "Y not?"

Juvia softened at the familiar nickname, throwing her arms around her friend for a tight hug. Guilt pooling in Lucy's stomach like lead.

"Lucy-san, are you hurt?"

"I'm good, Juvy. You?" Lucy pulled back to see a nasty cut marring the girl's pretty face. Blood dripped down her chest, staining her blue button-up coat maroon.

"I can heal her," Wendy offered shyly from her table near the door. Lucy hadn't even seen the sky dragon slayer sitting there when she walked in.

"Juvia would like that. Thank you, Wendy-san." The water woman gave one last, apologetic look to Lucy, then went to be fixed up. The blonde stayed where she was, lost to her thoughts as weariness overtook her. _If she thought she was tired before..._

"Can we go on the mission _now?"_ Natsu whined beside her, his lips downturned into a cute pouty face. She rolled her eyes. The fire wizard could be so impatient.

"Let's bring it to Erza and Gray first, see if everyone is happy with it," she suggested, taking the paper out of his fist, fingering out the wrinkles.

"Huh? Why? You don't trust me, Luce?" Natsu looked offended, the sparks in his irises dimming.

"What? No, it's not like that. I don't know what type of jobs you've gone on before, but I'm used to every member of the group having a say and agreeing before we take on a mission. A clear democracy," Lucy replied as she sat beside Erza again.

"Just so, Lucy. I admire your code of conduct. We will benefit from you being a part of Team Natsu. We would be wise to choose missions diplomatically," Erza remarked, smoothing out the paper in front of them, angling it toward the centre so everyone could read it.

"That's not what you say when _you_ pick the jobs," Natsu complained, dropping onto the bench diagonal to the requip wizard.

"I'll say. You pretty much just force me and Natsu to do whatever you tell us," Gray agreed as he sat across from Lucy. The pinkette hummed in agreement.

"What did you just say?" Erza hissed, her voice dropping two octaves. They jumped, as if realizing what they had just dared to utter in the presence of The Titania.

"Nothing!" Gray and Natsu clang to each other in an awkward hug. Fear—and possibly their brief lives—flashing through their eyes.

"I'm sure they just meant you pick the best jobs," Lucy interjected calmly. "After all, strategy is one of your specialties, right?"

Gray and Natsu nodded furiously in agreement.

The redhead studied the boys carefully for a beat, then turned to the blonde.

"This mission will be very dangerous," Erza said ominously, her face cast in shade. The celestial mage glanced around slightly, unsure how the shadows had appeared when the guildhall was so well lit. She shrugged internally.

Lucy looked down at the piece of parchment, her eyes bulging out when she saw the amount of jewel offered. "Yeah? But look at the reward! I could pay my rent for three months with just my share!"

"Nothing we can't handle," Natsu scoffed.

Gray turned the notice toward himself to read it better.

"It's in the mountains, so Char-brain can't cause any damages we'd have to pay for," He met Lucy's eyes. "Looks good to me."

"Aye! We can do it!" Happy floated down to perch on Natsu's shoulder. He had no idea what any of them were talking about, but he agreed with his foster father.

They all stared at Erza, who alone seemed reluctant.

"A democracy, right?" Lucy nudged. Not having to worry about rent for three whole months would be huge.

The requip wizard gave a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "I'll go tell Mira. We'll meet at the train station first thing tomorrow morning." She slid out of her seat, muttering something like, 'I can't _believe_ this isn't an S-class job!'

"Ugh...trains," Natsu keeled over the table, green around the edges.

"What's the matter, Fire-ass?" Gray asked with very fake concern. The ice-make mage snapped his fingers, expression dripping with mirth. "Oh! You don't like trains! Rocking back and forth, back and forth…"

"You get motion sickness?" Lucy asked, canting her head to the side.

"Uh huh," Natsu gasped out, his pallor sickly green and sweaty as Gray continued chanting "back and forth, and back and forth," beside him.

"You get motion sickness from someone even mentioning a train?" She asked flatly, disbelief flaring in her voice.

"You're so mean, Lucy!" Happy chided, pulling his partner up from the table. He flew the limply hanging pinkette toward the guild doors.

"Hey, you're the one who called _me_ fat, you stupid cat!" Lucy yelled to the departing exceed, indignant.

The blue feline turned and gave her a sad yet reproachful look—perfected by pets everywhere—before he whisked Natsu away.

Her and Gray were the only ones sitting at the table and Lucy wasn't about to waste the scant opportunity.

"Natsu said you wanted to tell me something last night?" she tried to keep hope from colouring her tone.

Gray gave her a direct stare, his indigo eyes dark and serious. "Yeah, I just wanted to say...I _did_ want to see you last night. But when I met your friend Juvia...well, I had to get out of there."

Lucy nodded, having seen the water woman's obsession firsthand. The image of Natsu lying in her bed this morning flooded her mind, and she remembered admiring his firm body. She felt her cheeks grow hot, banishing the picture.

"That's okay, I understand," she studied her fingernails, "and Juvia is a really nice person. I know you haven't seen her acting..." Lucy struggled to find the right word, "like her _regular_ self, but she's normally quiet shy."

Gray harrumphed, taking a slow pull of the beer he had in his hand, but before they could talk more, Lucy could see Juvia coming up behind Gray. Her cheek was fully healed except for a barely visible faint pink line; her eyes grew brighter and wilder as she took in the sight of the still shirtless Gray.

"Great. This is all I need," she muttered, running her fingers through her still-wet hair in frustration, yanking the ends.

When Juvia came within earshot, she pleaded, "Please don't call me a love rival again."

The blunette didn't seem to hear her.

"Gray-sama is going on a mission?" Juvia glanced at the job request still laying on the table in front of them.

"That's what wizards do, we take jobs, Juvia," Gray muttered, not even bothering to look up at her. "By the way, can I get my shirt back now?"

Juvia shook her head, stepping back from the table. "Juvia will give Gray-sama an equal gift to prove her affections. Would my love enjoy Juvia's shirt in return?"

The water wizard hastily started undoing the buttons of her jacket. There was a lull as everyone shared at her in shock. She got three buttons down before Gray left his seat with a long-suffering sigh and clasped her hands together.

"Will you cut it out? Just keep the shirt," he ran one exasperated hand through his hair, spiking it a bit more.

Juvia's eyes grew huge, pink hearts throbbing where her pupils used to be.

"Anything for my darling Gray!" she squealed, then lost her form and puddled at the ice wizard's feet.

"What the hell is _with_ this chick?" the noirette raised his voice as he polled the guild.

Lucy ducked her head, trying to avoid what was most likely a rhetorical question...just in case it wasn't. She had a pretty good notion what was _with_ Juvia.

Lust.

The same desire that spiked through Lucy whenever Gray entered a room. She just wasn't as...transparent with her interest in him.

She didn't want to just sit there, looking at Act Two of 'Juvia: The Love Proclamations.' The first act had already left her sore, soggy and with a bitter taste in her mouth.

She grabbed the request to bring it to Mira, meeting Erza at the bar.

"This mission is far more difficult than anything I would've picked for us," the requip mage said by way of greeting as she approached.

 _Erza's all about the tactical not the tact,_ she reminded herself.

"You don't think I'm capable of handling it?" she asked, feeling a pang of insecurity. After all, Natsu, Happy, Gray and Erza had all worked together before. Maybe she wasn't strong enough to be on Team Natsu. _Stupid egotistical name though it was._

"It's not that, Lucy. I know you're an excellent wizard. This will be a lot handle, even with the four of us," the redhead warned.

"I want to prove myself. I'm ready to take on a bigger group mission. I can do this," she said firmly, chin held high.

"Alright. I quite enjoy a challenge myself," Erza replied, looking a bit more reassured. Lucy handed the paper over to Mira, who gave a worried glance, but said nothing as she went to log it in the job book.

A loud yelp came from the corner of the room. The celestial wizard's eyes quickly found Gray and Juvia again. The water woman was clinging to him—one long leg wrapped tightly around his torso, her arms suctioned around his neck—forcing him into a tight hug.

Again.

"Lemme go, for fuck's sakes!"

"My darling Gray fits perfectly in Juvia's arms!"

That was an overstatement, considering Gray was trying desperately to peel himself away from "the blue banana."

Juvia recklessly leaned in, trying to kiss Gray, all sense of modesty aborted. The ice-make mage dodged her lips on his face, but Juvia managed to plant a brief kiss on the side of his neck. She was in tears again, begging Gray to acknowledge their love as she hooked her both legs fully around his naked torso.

Lucy stared at the scene, equal parts aghast and envious.

 _For a water mage, she's thirsty as hell._

Gray resorted to using his magic, creating an ice grappling hook to lift himself out of the blunette's reach. He swung and landed several feet away, near where Erza and Lucy were sitting.

"Lucy, that friend of yours is driving me crazy! I'll see you in the morning!"

He bolted toward the guild doors with Juvia scurrying right behind him.

Somehow in the confusion, his pants came off at the threshold. Thrown high in the air like a bridal bouquet…fluttering down.

" _Mine!"_ Several voices called, rushing with outstretched arms to catch the black jeans before they hit the ground.

The ensuing scuffle had multiple women—and some men—latching onto a piece of the fabric, tugging at the denim, screaming at each other to let go. As Lucy watched from the sidelines, wooden blocks appeared from the ground, blasting back all comers, save one.

"They're mine!" a sweet voice called out from the dusty melee. A very pretty mage with purple-bobbed hair and glasses waved her prize like a victory flag. Lucy thought her name was similar to her own.

Lexi? Lacie? No, Laki. That was it.

"This guild certainly isn't dull," said Lucy, shaking her head.

"It's definitely the most fun I've ever had!" Mira agreed, a beatific smile on her face.

"Good thing he's a strong wizard. He must spend a _fortune_ on clothes," Erza mused, observing the horde clinically.

Lucy finished her coffee while Erza drank tea, her mind a whirlwind. Her first Team Natsu mission was _tomorrow_. She drummed her left hand on the bar countertop in nervous excitement, sliding along the sleek polished surface.

"You should go home and pack, the train leaves at 6 am sharp," Erza suggested.

"Aye sir!" Lucy stood up, giving a brisk salute, her body humming in anticipation – the beginnings of a caffeine rush overtaking her.

"Oh? Are Happy and Natsu starting to make an impression on you?" The requip wizard asked at the familiar phrase, a knowing glint in her eyes that Lucy didn't like in the least.

The celestial wizard wiggled her nose at her. "It's just an expression, Erza. I'll see you tomorrow!"

The redhead gave a small laugh, waving her off. "Yes, we'll see you in the morning."

Lucy walked home with a huge smile plastered on her face. Gray didn't like Juvia. She was part of Team Natsu with some of the strongest members of Fairy Tail, _and_ she was going on her first team mission in the morning.

She could hardly wait.

* * *

 _ **A/N - Thanks to the fabulous Satyrykal for editing this chapter! Even though she is unbelievably busy at the moment, she still made time for me. You're the sweetest!**_

 _ **Thank you to all my reviewers! stranger1999, guest, Celistastar, Guest, AzmariaMinohi, Graciewashere33, MasterGildarts, TheJSmooth, JAKEDSNAKE, ShanaHollows, Satyrykal, Guest, Luna Child of Transformation (x9! NINE!**_ _ **)**_ _ **artistofthemind and Guest. You guys give me LIFE! You're like strong coffee, shirtless Gray and Natsu, and strawberry cake all rolled into one. (Natsu and Gray rolled in cake? Oh, I could get onboard with that image!)**_

 ** _Please leave me another review! I feed off them like a vampire! Love and hugs, Mor-Fae than you probably want. ;)_**


	13. Chapter 13 - A Bad Idea

_Disclaimer: The next two chapters have course language and violence. It's not graphic, but I also don't believe that people fighting with sharp swords, fire, ice and spirits are going to merely knock creatures unconscious. Beasts that get knocked down will stay down…dead._

 _Also please note in my story that Lucy has spent the majority of her schooling at Mermaid Heel, where they weren't allowed to go on missions until they were 15 (as covered in the first chapter of this story). Lucy has limited combat experience but all her current gate keys. Because I'm A/Uing the shit out of this thing. Starting now. (And all those other times.) :D_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: A Bad Idea**

They had been trekking up Mt. Hakobe for several hours and Lucy had learned a great deal in that time.

After an excruciating train ride — Natsu wasn't kidding about his severe motion sickness — the fresh air and pleasant company were _just_ what she needed to quell her nerves about being on her first mission as part of Team Natsu.

Until all the idiots started fighting. _Again._

"I shall be the vanguard. I have the most combat experience," Erza declared, gesturing upward to the rocky goat path that Lucy assumed was the only way to get to the top of the mountain. The problem was, the path was _very_ narrow. They would definitely have to walk in single file.

"What? Like hell you do! I'll fight you for it right now!" Natsu bellowed.

"You're a moron," Gray told Natsu, "the last time we let you lead the way we were lost for half a day."

Happy gave an indignant snort from his perch on top of Natsu's head and blew a raspberry at the ice-make mage in defense of his foster father. The noirette rolled his eyes at the cat.

"I'm glad you agree with me, Gray," the requip mage hummed in approval, flicking a lock of red hair behind her shoulder absentmindedly.

"Actually, I don't," Gray raised one eyebrow and continued cooly, "We're in snow and ice. This is basically _my_ turf. If anyone should be going in first, it's me."

That was all it took to launch a full-scale argument between the three of them.

"I'm the only S-class wizard here. You fools should know by now that I'm the commander of any mission!" Erza said hotly.

"Oh? What happened to that 'democracy' bullshit you were spouting off yesterday? I _trained_ in the mountains. Tell you what, next time we hike up a mountain made of sheet metal and forged weapons, _you_ can be the vanguard. But this is _my_ terrain." Gray countered, confidence oozed from him like a chess Grandmaster who knows they'll have your king in checkmate in thirteen moves.

"Oi! I should go first!"

"Why?" Gray and Erza rounded on the fire mage in unison.

Natsu glanced between the two of them, folding his arms behind his head, "Don't have a reason. I just like to be first."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, flamed brain!"

"I must agree with Gray. We're on a mission. You're out," Erza dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Gray and I will fight to decide who will be first."

"No way! I'll take both of you on!" The pinkette spluttered, fists already raised.

That was the last straw.

"Shut up, shut up all of you!" Lucy shouted, stamping her foot, flurries kicking up around her boots as she huffed.

"Did you seriously just stamp your foot? I thought only little kids did that," Natsu cackled.

"It _did_ seem a bit immature, Lucy," Erza gave a soft tsk of disapproval.

" _I'm_ immature? Listening to all of you bicker about who's going first up a goddamn goat path is giving me a headache! You're all magical warriors! You guys have been arguing for _ten minutes!_ Who knows what could sneak up on us? We're all just standing around like sitting ducks!"

"I'd smell anything…" Natsu started.

"I don't think ducks sit _and_ stand at the same time, Lucy," Erza added, raising her brow

"Not the point!" Lucy cut them off. "Stealth, guys. Can we try to keep our voices down so we're not fighting off a pack of mountain lions or something?"

"There aren't any mountain lions on Mt. Hakobe, Lucy," Gray chimed in.

"Indeed. You don't seem very versed in this region," Erza gave a derisive sniff and turned to the men. "So we're all agreed. Lucy definitely wouldn't be guiding us up the mountain."

Raven, pink, and fuzzy blue heads nodded back quickly.

"I never said I wanted to be first!" Lucy shrieked, her voice so loud it hurt her own eardrums. She felt her face flush pink in embarrassment.

She dialled back the volume to a low whisper, "I'm just saying we should keep our voices down so we don't attract unwanted attention."

"Let them come at me! I'm all fired up!" Natsu roared.

"I'm not running from a fight!" Gray blustered.

"An honourable fighter faces her opponents head on," Erza declared.

Lucy gave a long _-_ suffering sigh, pressing four fingertips to her forehead as she tried to explain herself better. "We still don't need to alert these beasts...and whatever else is in this mountain, to our presence."

"You are such a weirdo." Natsu gave her an affectionate smile, ruffling her hair. She gave him an annoyed look — _she wasn't a child!_ — and knocked his hand away with a small pout.

"Relax, Lucy. We've always fought like this. It works for us," Gray said calmly.

"Agreed." The redhead nodded to the ice-make wizard, then refocused on Lucy. "Your apparent concern for our wellbeing is touching, but misguided. I have yet to meet a foe I was incapable of handling." Erza didn't pull out a sword to demonstrate her point, but the celestial wizard could almost _feel_ that she wanted to.

" _Fine._ But it's stupid to all just be standing around arguing. I could be halfway to the cave by now," Lucy flapped a hand upward and decided to make some quick decisions before the group devolved into squabbling again. "Erza, you lead the way. Gray, you go second, and Natsu, you're next."

"That seems fair," Erza nodded in approval.

"Course you would say that. You got what you wanted." Natsu sulked. "You put me _third,_ Luce?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Shut up, cinderblock. Lucy's right. We can't be loitering around all day," Gray gave Lucy a sideways glance and she felt a shiver run through her body.

"Soon we will be fighting our enemies," Erza said with relish, a terrifying grin on her face flashing briefly before she turned on her heel and started walking up the path.

She went a helluva lot faster than Lucy would've, had she been first. Natsu and Gray easily matched the pace the requip mage set, the stellar wizard stumbling after them.

As the minutes ticked by, Erza, Gray, Natsu and Happy became three vertical, fixed points on the steep path above her. They were all clumped together in single file, like lights on a string.

She couldn't keep up with them.

But in her defense, all three wizards were a lot taller than her. With much longer strides.

That's the story she was sticking with.

She wasn't going to admit she just wasn't in as good of shape as them, even if her breath _was_ coming out in pants, causing puffy clouds of air to fog the front of her face.

 _Whatever, someone has to be the rear-guard._

Natsu started lagging, getting closer and closer until he was within reach. She put on a short burst of energy and rushed to meet him.

She could see he was immersed in a conversation with Happy, his strides languid as he chatted with the feline. As she caught up, the pinkette gave an unrestrained laugh at something the blue exceed had said. It was the type of wholehearted laugh that made you smile back, even when you had no idea what was going on.

With a wide grin stretching across her face, she fell into step behind him without further difficulty.

 _Maybe I'm in better shape than I thought._

While her workouts with Erza were already intense, her friend had decided to up the ante. Recently, she and Levy had been granted the dubious pleasure of Erza _'letting_ them spar against her.'

The requip mage usually had Lucy flat on her back within seconds—seeing stars— gasping as the breath was knocked from her. Still, the blonde felt the thrice weekly workouts were helping her gain speed and flexibility. With all the effort Erza was squeezing out of her, she _had_ to be getting stronger.

"Hey, what're we fighting again, Natsu?" She struggled to sound nonchalant, not wanting to admit that her longing for three months worth of rent money had superseded her reading comprehension. For the life of her, she couldn't remember anything past the multi-digit reward.

"Vulcans," he answered succinctly.

Lucy had no idea what sort of creatures 'vulcans' were and when she asked Natsu, he said he probably had fought some before, but he couldn't remember.

"You don't expect me to remember every beast I've fought, do you?" he asked, his tone incredulous as he glanced at her sidelong, the emerald in his eyes flashing against the snowy backdrop.

She bit back the retort of how that's _exactly_ what she expected him to do.

Unlike the brash man beside her, Levy never forgot a creature and always carried a couple of books with her to read as she and Lucy went on missions. The blunette would show Lucy sketches of creatures and explain their habitats, strengths, and weaknesses to the blonde as they journeyed, prepping her for the fight to come.

She had the sweet life with Levy…she had to admit that. She could probably be on a soft, easy translation job in the city with her pixie of a friend right now instead of hiking up these freezing, dreary mountains.

As Natsu and Lucy cleared the last bit of rock, they came face-to-face with an irritated Erza standing above them. The redhead had her hands crossed over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I dislike waiting for you to catch up, Lucy. If this habit continues, I'll be forced to add a fourth workout to your weekly schedule." Erza fumed.

"Natsu was just as slow as I was!" She yelped, only feeling a tiny microsecond of guilt for throwing her own partner under the bus. Any court in the world would exonerate her under a self-defence plea. Any additional workouts per week with the requip mage might very well kill her.

"Natsu already works out six days a week for at least five hours a session," Erza said blandly.

Lucy stared at the fire wizard. " _Six days_ a week for _five hours_?"

"I have a lot of energy," he said, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal. The rippling muscles of his back...they coiled as if to accentuate his point, making her mouth feel inexplicably parched.

"I workout six days a week, too," Gray added with a challenging glare at Natsu. The fire wizard sent a scorching look back, his jaw flexing.

 _Well, that makes sense. Gray and Natsu are so competitive, there's no way either of them would let the other one-up them._

It explained how they had such amazing bodies. She let her eyes flicker over both of them, taking in their corded frames and how they held themselves.

Glancing back up to their faces, she bit the inside of her cheek — caught red-handed in her perusal. She could have _sworn_ Natsu and Gray read her thoughts and both preened at her, just a bit.

"When not on a mission, I workout six hours per day, seven days a week," Erza offered, trumping them all. Lucy struggled to keep her face expressionless, her mouth twitching just slightly.

 _Where the hell am I?_ These people were insane.

"I do yoga with Levy twice a week when I'm not with you, remember?" Lucy offered desperately.

She didn't mention that 'yoga with Levy' consisted of about thirty minutes of balancing in unorthodox poses to try to make each other fall over laughing, followed by reading books and pigging out on chocolate.

Really delicious, high quality chocolate.

 _I could go for some of that right now._

Erza cocked her head to the side at Lucy's assertion that her weekly fitness regimen totalled five workouts and uncrossed her arms.

"We can discuss your workout schedule later. We've dallied long enough. Time to get to work," she declared as she marched ahead, not sparing another look back at them.

They all nodded and followed her into the cavern. Within a few steps, they lost the daylight and were plunged into darkness. Natsu lit his hand, grousing yet again that he should lead the way, since he was the light source.

"We're not on the goat path anymore. You can walk beside me if you want to," Erza offered graciously, while making sure she was still a bit ahead of the fire wizard.

Lucy rolled her eyes.

Natsu walked alongside Erza, extending his flaming fist out like it was a lantern and he was Paul Revere on a quest to warn the British were coming.

Gray courteously stayed close to her. She gave him a grateful smile.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"Nope, I'm fine," she said, and meant it. Erza had seen to it that each of them was wearing a thick coat, even Natsu, who—in typical fashion—kept his unfastened.

She was surprised that Gray—in _atypical_ fashion—still had his white coat buttoned up with only his throat visible.

"Besides, a little snow doesn't bother me." She tried to bat her eyelashes suggestively, but they had a bit of frost or something on them, so one got stuck on the way down. She could feel her face flush and rapidly turned away, rubbing her left eyelash so it could open freely once again.

 _Man, I suck at flirting._

But Gray gave her a slight smirk and winked at her.

 _Poof!_

Before Lucy realized what she was doing, she was inside Horologuim. Her silver gate key spirit was shaped like a grandfather clock and she was crammed inside his glass case, his pendulum digging into her left arm.

"Why are you inside your clock spirit now?" Gray asked, staring at her like she was nuts.

"I'm cold, she says dishonestly," Horologuim answered back. Lucy blushed like crazy. She had forgotten that her clock spirit narrated what she was saying, since no one could hear her talking while she was inside of him.

"You just said you weren't cold." Gray narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Hence the 'dishonest' part, she mutters under her breath," the clock spirit said dryly.

 _That's enough out of you!_

Normally Horologuim was on his own time limit, but perhaps because of her own embarrassment, she was able to force his gate closed using her own magic. She could feel her face glowing in the dimly lit cave.

"Hahaha...celestial spirits, am I right? Don't worry about him. He has no idea what he's talking about," she fibbed, suddenly finding the tops of her boots fascinating as she walked beside the ice make wizard...

...Until she promptly collided into the solid rock wall of muscle that was Natsu Dragneel's back.

"Ow! Whatcha walking into me for?" He twisted around to look down at her, his dark eyes narrowed.

"Sorry! I-I wasn't w-watching wh-where I was going!" She stammered, waving her hands in front of her in an apologetic gesture.

"That seems exceedingly foolish of you, Lucy. Are you not vested in this mission?" Erza gave a pinching stare that shrunk Lucy to about three inches tall.

"I am! Sorry! I will pay more attention from now on!" She straightened her spine and tried to move her facial muscles to look as serious as Erza's.

"Weirdo," Natsu mumbled to her and she had to bit the inside of her cheek to stop the serious facade from slipping off her face into a smile.

"You're lucky I wasn't on Natsu's shoulders when you hit him, Lucy. I would've been squished!" Happy jeered, flying well out of reach.

"I've had just about enough comments on my weight, you stupid cat!"

"'Just about'?" Well, let me know when it's actually enough for you then," Happy caterwauled, flying in tight circles above her head.

His reply earned him laughs from Natsu, Gray and even Erza. The blue exceed gave a slight bow in the air, tamping down the laughs with a gracious shake of his paw.

 _She really was going to kill this cat one day._

"You guys are all a bunch of jerks!" she wailed, fighting the urge to stomp her foot again — knowing it would only add more fuel to the fire. No one paid her outburst any mind as they chuckled.

"Hush! Everyone quiet now," Erza's voice came down like a guillotine and they all froze in response. A faint crackle broke the silence.

"Something's out there," Natsu growled softly.

"What is...augh! What the _hell?"_ Lucy was grabbed by the hair and lifted high off the ground. A blast of fire stung her vision, but did far worse to the _thing_ that grabbed her. A snarl erupted from the beast and it let her go to fall flat on her ass. The creature pounded at its chest to suffocate the flames burning its fur. The thing looked like a gorilla—white fur, black markings on its face, chest and hands.

And more of them were coming.

"Don't let them get behind you!" Erza shouted.

Lucy was glad the requip mage had yelled that, considering she was _just_ thinking of turning and fleeing. That's all these creatures would see—her _not-nearly-as-fit-as-Erza's ass_ —running away. Forget about rent money. Forget about missions. She was absolutely, positively sure she wasn't up for this.

 _Why didn't I listen to Erza yesterday when I had the chance?_

Being on Mt. Hakobe was a bad idea.

But since Erza, Natsu and Gray were fighting beside her, enemies besetting them on all sides, she had to help her friends. She leapt up, giving a solid Lucy-kick to the flailing vulcan who was rolling around on the ground, trying to smother the several small fires that had suddenly appeared on his body. A satisfying yelp echoed back to her as she saw the beast hit the cavern wall and slam into the ground. The flames spread to consume the hairy body as he lay prone and unmoving.

Unlike his friends.

Erza had requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour. Dozens of bright silver swords hovered around her body like an aura, pointing like accusing fingers at the vulcans. The blades flashed as she released them, sticking into the creatures like pincushions.

As Lucy watched, several fell from their wounds, only for more to instantly take their places, snarling as they attacked. Slashing out with her whip, the blonde shoved her hair away from her eyes, breathing heavily. She had no idea how many they were fighting against, it could be hundreds.

 _There's no way this job is worth only three months rent!_

Natsu was slightly ahead of her, flames lighting up both fists. As she watched, he joined his hands together, creating a huge fireball that exploded when he cast it, taking out at least five vulcans in one shot.

Happy swung Natsu into the air and the two flew to where a large band of gorillas had circled around Erza. The redhead's mouth was set into a grim line of determination as she summoned more weapons around her. Natsu held his clenched fists stacked one in front of the other like he was about to propel a dart through a blow gun.

"Fire dragon roar!"

A sharp, whistling sound came out as fire funnelled through his fingers. He focused his magic like a flamethrower, avoiding Erza but hitting a cluster of vulcans full force. The blaze caught on the ape-like beasts' fur, incinerating those closest into ash while burning others. Tormented screams echoed across the cavern, but were soon quashed by the requip wizard as she skewered the flailing vulcans.

Lucy saw glistening frost ahead of her. Gray was using an ice hammer to flatten vulcans into fur rugs. She had to look away.

It was far more sinister to fight actual monsters than her childhood fairy tales had suggested.

 _I have to stay strong. I have figure out the best way to help my team._

She did a quick mental calculation of which of her spirits could take out the most beasts in the least amount of time, and reached for the proper golden gate key.

"Open...gate of the maiden, Virgo!" She summoned, slashing her key through the air. The sound of a doorbell chiming answered her call. Virgo appeared before her, decked out in her usual outfit of short black skirt, a black, capped-sleeved shirt, and frilly white apron. The maiden celestial spirit had shackles around both wrists with broken chains dangling from them.

"You summoned, Mistress?" Virgo asked politely, voice bland.

"Virgo, we need to fight these monsters!" Lucy swept out a hand to indicate the horde of beasts coming towards them.

"What is your command, Princess?"

Lucy let out a low, determined grunt. She wasn't about to let her teammates down. "I'm going in, Virgo! Cover my ass!"

One of them came at her and she darted to the side, tripping him; using his own stumbling momentum to shove as hard as she could behind his ankle. He fell right into the little vulcan bonfire Natsu was making. The dragon slayer added a blast of flame to finish him off into a pyre of kindling. She spared a moment to give him a grateful smile, but he was already gone in a flurry of movements.

Lucy watched as he catapulted over a boulder, twisting at the waist as he flew through the air in a battle cry. She heard his shout of "fire dragon wing attack!" as red painted the air around him as he tore down their enemies.

Her whip was ready to take on the next vulcan when she felt something pressing on her upper thigh. She looked over her shoulder, ready to elbow-drop a hairy ape right across the neck when her startled eyes caught sight of short pink hair. Virgo was kneeling behind her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she growled. They were in the middle of a fight here! It wasn't time to start pressing her clothes.

"I'm doing as you command, Princess. I'm covering your ass," Virgo said mildly.

"I didn't mean to literally cover my ass!" she fumed. "This really isn't helping. Can't you just dig some holes or something?"

"As you wish, Princess. However, there's a strong likelihood that you or another member of your party will fall in. Do you still wish me to dig holes, Princess?"

She struggled to comprehend what Virgo was saying. "Fall in? As in plummet to our deaths?"

"Yes, Princess." Virgo answered with guileless blue eyes.

"Why would I want that?" she yelped. Then she took a couple of deep breaths to sort herself out. "Sorry, Virgo. I think I should send you back and call on another spirit."

"If you wish. Punishment now, Princess?" Virgo asked, her voice getting a bit more animated for the first time since her summoning, the chains of her handcuffs swinging suggestively.

"Stop asking me that! No!" she squawked, dismissing Virgo. _Fast._

 _What a waste of magical energy that was!_

"Open! Gate of the goat – Capricorn!" Lucy pulled out his golden key, feeling her magic call out and Capricorn's aura answer. Her magic stretched for an instant and then rebounded to her as the spirit poured his own strength into the link, melding with hers. He appeared before her, dark suit, his goat face half-hidden behind sunglasses.

"Miss Lucy," he greeted politely, deftly sucker-punching a vulcan in the face who had the misfortune of being too close to where he had materialized.

"Glad you're here, Capricorn! We need to take these dirty monkeys out!" Lucy told him, feeding her own magic into their shared bond to help boost his already substantial fighting abilities.

"As you wish," Capricorn became a blur as he moved between vulcans, kicking, punching, and tossing them in the air. The airborne beasts became target practice for the rest of the group – swords, flames and deadly ice weapons shooting up high in the air to finish them off.

One almost grabbed Lucy by the ankle from behind when she was preoccupied fighting with her whip, but her spirit spotted it and sent the monster careening into the limestone wall with a heavy thump. Lucy knew that particular vulcan wouldn't be getting back up again. Capricorn was fast, deadly and exceptionally proficient in hand-to-hand combat.

Erza was throwing sword after sword at the creatures. Bodies were piling up all around the redhead. The ugly gorillas didn't seem to be slowing down but their numbers were thinning.

As Lucy watched, Erza threw a sword like it was a spear, impaling one against the rock wall who had gotten behind Gray. The redhead gave a grunt of satisfaction as the light dimmed from its eyes. The ice mage gave her a quick nod of thanks.

Having never seen the three wizards fight anything before (besides each other), Lucy couldn't help but be impressed.

She felt something pull on her link with Capricorn and whirled around, eyes searching to find the spirit. Four vulcans had managed to grab the lethally quick spirit, two pinning him in place while one landed a crushing blow to his stomach. Another reached up to snap his neck like a twig.

"Capricorn!" Lucy felt her magic flare as he lost his form, dissolving into gold mist. Her magic dimmed as the gate slammed shut. Celestial spirits couldn't be killed, but they could be defeated in combat.

Lucy felt her strength sapping since she was no longer linked to spirit world.

"Women, good! We keep women!" A vulcan cried as it came at her. She hadn't even known these things could talk! She _really_ needed to do more research on her own now that she wasn't able to rely on Levy.

 _Bob and weave, Lucy!_ Erza's voice commanded in her mind. She slid between its hairy legs, then popped up behind the creature, landing a Lucy-kick right in its spine, twirling to follow up with a right jab to his neck. The horrid ape lurched forward, spinning around and took a swinging right hook, aimed at her unprotected jaw.

 _Shit,_ she knew better than to let her guard down, her fists dangled down uselessly by her sides rather than raised up to protect her face and throat.

Lucy danced backward as Erza had—all too painfully—taught her to do. She grinned when the vulcan's fist whooshed past, having met nothing but thin air.

Then the most piercing, irritating noise blared throughout the cave.

"Augh!" Lucy and Erza cried out simultaneously, clamping their hands over their ears. They dropped to the ground, rolling around in agony as the most godforsaken sound Lucy had ever heard blasted her eardrums. The boys didn't notice their reactions, distracted.

Gray and Natsu's heads snapped up like marionette puppets on a string.

"That music…" Natsu uttered, his voice reverent.

"Music? It's noise!" Lucy shrieked. The vulcan she had been fighting against reached for her, and in the state she was — curled in the fetal position with her hands clamped over her ears — she was easy pickings. The beast threw her over its shoulder as another overgrown gorilla picked up a now-defenseless Erza, whose face was etched in pain.

"It's so beautiful…" Gray said in a dazed voice.

Both men started walking toward the cave's exit like magnets were pulling them…oblivious to the girls' plight.

For whatever reason, the gross monkeys let them pass. As the boys walked away in a trance, the several fires that Natsu had created — mostly on vulcan fur — started to sputter out.

The helpless girls were trapped with the remaining beasts. The glint of flame slowly extinguished.

With the last dying light, they were plunged into total darkness.

* * *

 ** _A/N - Yup, I ended the chapter right here. Runs away and hides._**

 ** _Aside from that...what did you think? Fights aren't my wheelhouse and this chapter and the next one required extensive rewrites. Honestly, they were rewritten a stupid, crazy, countless number of times. Hope you guys are enjoying it, though! That's the most important thing!_**

 ** _Satyrykal edited this chapter, making it shine like Natsu's freshly oiled abs! Thanks, Satyrykal! If you want to treat yourself to some wordy goodness, head over to her fics. Boiling Point and The Edge are Nalu pastries just waiting to be gobbled up!_**

 ** _(Clears throat): Ahem! Notes! I have notes here!_**

 ** _1). Capricorn reminds me of a gangster from a Quentin Tarantino film, like Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. All badass and awesome._**

 ** _2). Thanks to ShanaHollows and quite-a-riot, who brainstormed with me on which creatures Team Natsu should fight and gave helpful suggestions when I was stuck on this chapter. (I then got so carried away I wrote 12,000 words and had to break this chapter into two parts. "Still A Bad Idea" will be up next!)_**

 ** _3). Thank you so much for reading this story! How do I know you're reading? Because you drop me a review and tell me so (hint hint), and it makes me so happy I immediately run to my laptop and work on more chapters for you guys! It's a symbiotic relationship!_**

 ** _Thanks to my reviewers from last chapter! Slash2104, Guest (x2), Luna Child of Transformation, quite-a-riot, TheJSmooth, stranger1999, noseinabook145, they call me Bridge, MasterGildarts, Celistastar, AzmariaMinochi, Satyrykal, ShanaHollows, Graciewashere33, JAKEDSNAKE, and Animeisheaven!_**


	14. Chapter 14 - Still A Bad Idea

_Huge squishy hugs to Satyrykal! She beta-read this chapter, told me it was one of her favourites so far (cue me doing a happy dance that may or may not end in me doing a crummy version of the Robot.)._

 _Correction: It definitely_ _ **does**_ _end in me doing a terrible version of the Robot. :)_

 _Plus, when I begged her this morning to look over some last-minute revisions, she answered me within minutes! She did what she she always does, pouring her Rumpelstiltskin magic into my story and making everything better. I'm beyond grateful._

 _Hope you all enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen: Still A Bad Idea**

Lucy stared into pitch-black nothingness—the type of darkness that makes you question if your eyes are even open. She waved her own hand in front of her face, but couldn't see a thing. She could only feel course matted fur and smell the stench of the vulcan who held her.

 _Ugh, these things reek._

"Lucy! I think it's sirens luring the boys!" Erza called out from somewhere inside the cave.

 _Sirens._ That made sense. The stuff of lore, but their music was supposed to seduce males and repulse females.

"I can save Natsu!" Happy cried out from somewhere behind her, his voice sharper while her other senses were dulled.

"Happy don't! Natsu is hypnotized, he'll fight you off if you try to stop him!" She yelled in warning. "He's under a spell and has no idea what's going on. In the state he's in, he can kill you!" She heard Happy's soft, blubbery sobs answer back, but she couldn't concentrate on him. She needed to think.

Lucy tried to remember everything she knew about the fabled sea creatures. They lived in almost any body of water—as long as they could lure enough men to feast upon—they were content. Their booming voices could cover vast distances to ensnare their victims. Once under the siren's spell, any man they held was enslaved.

Which was bad news for them, because although the siren couldn't use Gray's ice or Natsu's fire, the boys themselves were now enthralled and would fight until their last breath to be by the siren's side. They would walk straight off this mountain to the source of the music if they had to. Sirens didn't care what shape their quarry came in.

Lucy had read of men with fractured legs or ribs—oblivious to injury—dragging their broken, bleeding bodies toward their doom. Frantic. Frenzied. Fighting any who would dare try to stop them. The siren would lie wait, luring men to her side...

Only to drown them.

The noise of the creature's call grew slightly fainter. She must somehow have known the boys had been caught like fish on a hook. Now it was only a matter of reeling in the fresh meat.

 _Not on your life you're getting Natsu and Gray!_

Lucy tried to struggle in the ape-like creature's grasp, but his hold was too strong. The vulcan started pawing at her backside.

"Let me go, you pervert!"

"Women! We have pretty women!" Its voice heavy and laced with lust. More hairy hands touched her – petting her blonde locks, her arm, her boot. Hemming her in from all sides.

"We need to get rid of these things, then we can deal with the sirens!" Erza cried out in the darkened depths of the cavern.

Lucy didn't need asking twice. She knew every gate key she owned by feel alone and the putrid beasts hadn't realized these were her weapons.

With only some reluctance, she peeled a hand away from one ear, pressing it further into the disgusting vulcan's shoulder to dampen out the noise, getting a good whiff of rank monkey. She gagged as she grabbed the key she needed.

"Open! Gate of the Lion – Leo!" She called out. A flash of light bounced crazily for an instant, illuminating the stalactites above them, the brown limestone walls… and the darker, more menacing forms of the vulcans.

"Hello, beautiful," Leo greeted as he appeared before her, a familiar smirk gracing his features.

"Not a good time, Leo," Lucy muttered at her flirtatious spirit. The smelly baboon holding her squished her ribcage even tighter, almost popping her lungs. His gorilla friends crowded around her. Loke gave off a hazy glow, illuminating a wide circle around him.

The yeti-like beasts started thumping their chests, jumping up and down at the newcomer male in their midst, their voices agitated.

"No man! Lake! Lake! You go lake! We keep women!" A vulcan next to her cried out. Lucy narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

Leo was pushing his periwinkle sunglasses up the tip of nose with his index finger, tilting his head to the side as he listened to the horrible wailing the sirens were still making.

"I hate to break it to you morons, but siren calls don't work on celestial spirits," Leo said smoothly, but he gave her a concerned glance. "You're running out of magic, Lucy. We need to do something fast."

The one holding her stroked her hair, she tried to shove his hand away, but it ignored her. Her squirming and struggling was about as effective as using a fly swatter to fend off a shark. The vulcan snorted, snot dripping down his face.

 _These things are disgusting! I need to get out of here._

"Loke, can you quit standing around and do something?" she begged.

"It would be easier if they were somehow distracted…" Loke mused, adjusting his tie.

"I doubt these perverts are going to get distracted! They didn't care at all about Natsu or Gray leaving. All they want is me and Erza and they have _both_ of us right now, so whatever you're thinking of doing, hurry up!"

Lucy paused after the words left her mouth. That _was_ weird. _Why_ had the hairy gorillas let the boys go? But the creeps were only interested in women and sirens were only interested in men, so maybe somehow the water creatures and perverted beasts had struck up some sort of deal.

Her stomach twisted.

It would seem so.

Loke hummed for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Lucy...let's use you as bait."

"What?" She couldn't have heard him right.

"Well Gorgeous, something you and I have in common is our insane sex appeal," Loke preened a bit, brushing his knuckles against the lapel of his suit jacket.

 _Are we seriously talking about this right now?_ Lucy stared at him in disbelief, but her lion spirit was still jabbering away.

"We both have the gift of being able to infatuate the opposite sex. I'll get the vulcan that's holding you to release you, then you seduce the group. While they're watching you, Erza can cut them down."

"Are you kidding me?" She balked at the idea. It was so sick and twisted and just plain _wrong._

 _Plus I'm too cute to be monster bait!_

Then she took a second to consider it, blinking a few times. Loke was right; she _was_ using way too much magic. And these things did seem pretty stupid and desperate for women.

 _But these things are so repulsive!_

Then one of her captor's friends caressed her, a paw dragging up her rib cage, coming way too close to her breasts.

She let out an indignant yelp. _This plan had better work!_ "Okay, I'll try it! Just get these dirty monkeys off of me!"

Loke started making strange noises. His voice came out harsh and animalistic, a series of grunts tumbling from his lips.

The rancid apes looked at the lion spirit in total shock. The one holding her chattered back to him. It sounded like it was asking a question. That's when it dawned on her that they were speaking a different language. Loke gave an affirming growl back.

 _Yeah, don't include me in this conversation! I'm only the bait!_

Fucker.

But whatever Loke had said, it worked, because the pervert gorilla let her go. She floundered for an instant on wobbly legs, shambling to Loke's side.

"Mind telling me what's going on around here?"

"You're going to dance for them," Loke supplied, a shit-eating grin spitting his face in half. He was enjoying this way too much. She should've guessed it would be something like that.

"You better be right about this…" she warned, flexing her fingers in agitation. This was so humiliating!

The repugnant troop of baboons gathered in a tight circle around the gleaming spotlight that Loke's magic cast just by him standing near her. She unceremoniously dropped her jacket off her shoulders...which had the hairy beasts hooting and thumping their chests.

For a winter parka.

 _Yeah, Loke was definitely right about this._

She lifted her arms and started swaying her hips, closing her eyes to concentrate on her movements. Lucy shut out the sight of the salivating vulcans. She let a song fill her head and started moving more rhythmically. Her hands lifted to smooth back her hair, then she ran one hand from her neck straight down to her belly button.

The ugly apes started going nuts, jumping up and down in excitement, their boisterous voices chanting: "More women! More women! Show, show, show!"

 _What a bunch of perverts._

But Lucy tantalizingly played with the edge of her skirt, lifting it an inch, and even though she had on thick leggings so you couldn't see anything, the troops went wild.

She could see Erza behind the vulcans, now in her Black Wing Armor, slashing away at the besotted hairy creeps.

Even as their comrades fell around them, the dirty monkeys couldn't tear their eyes off the blonde mage writhing in front of them. She was more than happy to take advantage of their stupidity while her friend cut them down.

Lucy started using some of the moves Cana had taught her, rubber spine bending back, twisting and posing to show her assets at best advantage. Incoherent catcalls and grunted cheers filled the cavern. They didn't even try to fight or defend themselves when the requip wizard ran them through with her sword.

The remaining vulcans met their Maker with their eyes full of Lucy Heartfilia, their pea-sized brains full of lewd thoughts and lovesick smiles on their faces.

There are worse ways to go, if she said so herself.

Erza slaughtered them like spring lambs being led to slaughter. Soon, the stellar wizard, requip mage and crafty celestial spirit found themselves alone in the cave. The redhead made her way to Lucy's side, wiping her blade clean on a strip of cloth.

"I can't believe that actually worked," Erza said in utter shock as she stared at the circle of dead beasts surrounding them.

"Lucy has many gifts." Loke smiled in satisfaction.

Even though the ginger-haired spirit hadn't fought the vulcans, just holding his gate open was getting to be too much for her.

"Loke, you're brilliant. Now please promise me I never have to do that again," she pleaded, leaning her weight to one side.

"I certainly didn't mind watching," Loke waggled his eyebrows at her, his form wavering.

Her magic was burning up like a gasoline-soaked rag in a bonfire. She was running on embers. Loke knew it, too.

"I have to leave now, beautiful. I'll always be here for you, though. Your valiant knight." Loke's form flickered for a second, then vanished as he closed his gate.

"Thank you, Loke," she whispered.

 _I will always do as you bid, Lucy. Our love makes us stronger,_ Loke's mind-voice was dark and seductive inside her head. She could feel her cheeks heating up.

 _Please don't be creepy,_ she thought back to him. In her mind's eye, she could almost see him giving her a jaunty wink. She staggered forward, crumpling to her knees as a wave of exhaustion hit.

Erza was beside her in an instant – helping put her coat back on. She half-pulled, half-dragged the blonde alongside her. Lucy's head was ringing and she was nauseated.

"Excellent work, Lucy. I was unable to reach my weapons while the sirens were using their full strength. My focus was weak." Erza looked shamefaced for a moment but shook it off. "Very good work with distracting them. I must say, your unusual relationship with your spirit Loke surprised me. It's that type of creativity that makes you a good teammate," Erza praised. Lucy flushed with pleasure and embarrassment.

The redhead's face darkened. "Although I still can't believe that the boys were so easily defeated," Erza sniffed, "All it took was a bit of noise to capture them? Those morons really need to work on their defensive magic."

"Uh...thanks?" She wasn't really sure what to say, but it never hurt to thank The Titania.

She was starting to get her second wind and was able to walk without relying on Erza. The redhead requipped back into her Heaven's Wheel Armor with a grim look of determination on her face.

"I'm happy to help, but how do we get the boys back?" Lucy asked. The sooner they were out of this cave, the better.

Surely they had cleared Mt. Hakobe of pervert gorillas and had earned their reward. But who knew what other monsters were lurking around? Lucy didn't want to stick around and find out. They had more than enough on their plates already.

"The lake is to the East, but you should conserve your strength. I can fly for a short distance wearing this armor. I just have to hope it will be enough. Happy can carry you." Erza broke off to adjust a buckle on a boot then continued.

"But be warned, once the sirens realize we're trying to rescue the boys, they will get louder to force them into the water even faster. Natsu and Gray will attack anyone who tries to stand in their way. Once the sirens spot us, they will try to pull the pair of them in as fast as possible. We need to get to the lake before the boys do and take out the sirens from there. Once they are defeated, the spell holding those two idiots hostage will disappear."

 _Only Erza would call someone an idiot for being hexed against his will._

"Okay, but what happens to _us_ when the sirens start singing full throttle again?" Lucy asked. Even with the sirens voices becoming fainter, it was still agony to talk to the requip wizard without her hands fastened over her ears.

And the noise _was_ dimming. She assumed that the closer the boys got to the lake, the less strength the sea-witches needed to use to pull them in.

 _Not good. We need to act fast._

Erza glowed for a moment as she reached into the nether sphere. She was still wearing her Heaven's Wheel Armor when she returned, but with a pair of white earmuffs on her head. She held a second pair of pink earmuffs out to Lucy. The blonde plopped them over her ears just as they reached the cave's opening and sweet, sweet daylight.

 _I'm never coming back to Mt. Hakobe again,_ she vowed.

Erza started sprinting down the mountain. Happy grabbed Lucy by her coat's hood, lifting her into the air without a snarky comment about her weight. She grimaced. That's how she knew they were in dire straits.

"Those earmuffs will dampen the sound. Sirens never sing alone, so I suspect we will be facing two or three of these things. It's important that we take them out as quickly as possible. Got it?"

Erza stopped running, standing close to the mountain's edge. Happy had Lucy dangling two feet off the ground, giving her a clear view of the precipice below. The blonde looked down.

Sheer vertigo.

All she could see was snow, ice, rocks and certain death.

Erza spread the metallic wings of her armor.

"Ready?"

"Aye sir! – "

"– No!"

Lucy was trying to cycle her legs backward in the air. She didn't want to do this; she did _not_ want to do this.

"I can smell the horrible singing fishies! I'll lead you to them!" Happy declared and without any warning whatsoever, dove off the mountain cliff with Lucy in his paws.

"I'm going to die!" Lucy screamed, as the rush of air hit her face like one of Erza's _supposedly pulled_ punches. The hard beautiful ground was long gone behind her and only bone-shattering death awaited her now.

She scrunched her eyes closed. It was one thing to see Natsu being flown around by Happy, it was quite another to experience it for herself. She didn't like this. Not in the slightest.

"You worry too much," Happy sniffed. He zigzagged through the air, beating his wings fast.

"I'm so not ready for this," she confessed with a whimper. It wasn't what she wanted her last words to be, but she didn't have anything better. She covered her eyes with both hands, praying this would all be over soon.

After several minutes that felt like hours, she heard Erza give a sharp hiss. She reluctantly uncovered her eyes to see an expanse of water practically underneath them. They were almost at the lake.

The siren's call abruptly changed, the noise deafening—shrill and urgent. Lucy clamped her hands over her earmuffed ears.

"Uh oh, I think we've been spotted," Happy called.

 _Erza is flying with metal silver wings that span eight feet! So chances were pretty damn good we'd be seen!_ Lucy gnawed on her tongue to keep the words from coming out.

Not like her parachuting in on a flying blue cat was much better.

 _Stealth! Learn it, live it, love it!_

Erza might be amazing in every other aspect, but they were definitely going to have to talk about mastering the fine art of subtlety when this mission was over.

Happy didn't seem to be affected at all by the siren's song. He was a cat, after all. Lucy was grateful for that, because she was having a hard time concentrating on anything. The noise was so repugnant that every fiber in her being was urging her to flee.

Run fast and run far.

"Since they've obviously spotted us, we might as well get as close as possible to take these bitches out!" She yelled to Erza.

"Good idea, Lucy! I'll take the one on the left, you take the one on the right!" The requip wizard commanded.

Now that Happy was flying closer, Lucy could make out two scrawny women sitting on a large boulder about a hundred feet away from the shoreline.

One had stringy blonde hair, the other was almost bald with a few wiry stands of black over her misshapen skull. Both were naked. It was not a good look on them. Saggy breasts and flabby stomachs.

As Happy got closer, Lucy could make out their features… glassy yellow eyes without eyelids, flat almost noseless faces. Their skin was bloated with sickly pale grayish blue scales covering their entire bodies.

Lucy was taken aback. She expected sirens to look almost like mermaids, but these things didn't even have fishtails for legs. They looked more like drowned corpses.

Lucy knew mermaids were beautiful and exceptionally kind, often rescuing sailors lost at sea. Her prior guild had picked a name that was as strong and as ethereal as the creatures whose guildmark they carried.

The duet of singing sirens, on the other hand, were like some mutant fish humanoid: ugly as sin.

"Kkkarrghhh!" The sirens bleated at them and Lucy thought her ears might start bleeding. The blonde siren ducked below the surface of the water as Erza instantly requipped into her Sea Empress Armor, diving in after her.

Happy landed with the stellar mage on the shore's edge. Lucy already had the golden gate key in her hand.

"Open, gate of the water bearer – Aquarius!" Lucy plunged the key into the lapping waves at the shore.

Only to have nothing happen. Her magic was burnt out. She didn't have anything left to call the celestial mermaid. She sat back on her heels in shock. She had never called so many of her friends in such rapid succession before, but she had been sure this would work.

"Please. Aquarius, I need you!" she begged, trying to find one spark of magical energy inside herself to open the celestial gate. But she felt nothing. Nothing!

She grabbed Horologuim's silver key since it required much less power to open his gate. He could keep the boys safe! But instead of feeling the familiar glowing warmth of her magic rippling down her arm, she felt only hollow and empty. A helpless sob escaped her throat. She didn't have a drop of energy left.

 _Why did I waste so much magic earlier? Summoning Horologuim because Gray flustered me? Choosing Virgo when she was no help whatsoever? In fact, if I had called Loke first and he suggested the dancing, maybe the sirens wouldn't have gotten Natsu and Gray to begin with!_

She crumpled on the ground, sobbing. The siren seemed to realize she was helpless as a smirk twisted up the creature's ugly face, revealing long, razor-pointed teeth like an anglerfish.

"What's the matter, Lucy?" Happy asked.

"Ha…Hap...Happy. I can't do it. I can't...I can't open a gate," she confessed between sobs. But she didn't have time to dwell on it because the sea-bitch sent a tidal wave toward her. Happy latched onto her back, swinging her into the air to avoid the impact.

High in the sky, she could see Gray and Natsu in the distance. They were running through the shale and dirt, getting closer by the second. The siren redoubled her volume.

 _This stupid siren with her stupid fucking screaming that never stops!_

It was like a slap on the face for her. She hadn't made the best choices for her spirits, but she was going to stand and fight. She refused to cower.

"Happy, let me down! We have to stop them from going into the water!"

The blue exceed dropped her too soon, about five feet above the ground, but Lucy stuck the landing.

 _Yoga, bitch!_

She turned to the siren, wishing she had a spear to gut this hideous thing, just to get it to shut the hell up.

"Grab a rock or something! Try to knock the boys out! If they can't walk, they can't get to the water. We need to buy some time until Erza gets back!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy nodded his head firmly.

They both grabbed a rock and Lucy got her whip out. Worst case scenario, maybe she could bind one of the boys' legs together and tie them to a tree. She remembered something like that from The Odyssey, a book Levy had made her read.

Then quizzed her on.

Twice.

… Since she hadn't passed the first time.

Her thoughts dispelled as Gray and Natsu came running into view. Happy flew over his foster-father's head. That left her with the ice mage. He was coming up fast, running full-tilt. His sapphire eyes glazed over, unseeing as he charged up the sandbar. She stood fast, blocking his way to the water. She lashed out her whip, but upon seeing her attack, Gray was faster. Dozens of ice lances appeared in the air. They launched swiftly, ready to impale her.

Her whip fell from suddenly numb fingers – a soft, dull thud as the black leather hit wet sand. Lucy saw the multitude of frost lances speeding toward her with no way to dodge in time.

She closed her eyes, sending a last thought to Gray and Natsu.

 _I'm dead...and I couldn't save you guys. I'm sorry…_

Only to open them a moment later when she realized she hadn't been killed.

"Juvia?" Lucy uttered in disbelief. The blunette was in front of her, the ice lances gone. She was holding Gray trapped in a raised water dome above them.

"Love rival or not, you are Juvia's friend. Gray-sama _must_ be saved! Juvia heard what you said. My water lock contains no oxygen, Gray-sama will soon pass out," her friend assured her.

"What about Natsu?" Lucy asked anxiously, twisting around to try to spot him.

"I got 'im, Lucy! The rock worked!" Happy called cheerfully, dragging the inert body of the fire mage into view.

A blast of water hit them from all sides, just as Gray froze and shattered the liquid bubble he'd been trapped within. He landed with a splash in the lake and started swimming toward the screeching creature.

"Juvia, if Gray reaches the siren, she'll kill him!" Lucy called out while she plunged herself further into the waves.

The rain woman was ahead of her in seconds. This was the blunette's element, not hers. Juvia gave a low growl and two water cyclones formed a double helix, whirling toward the craggy rock the mutant fish freak sat upon.

Only Gray was too close to Juvia's spell – he was sucked up and lifted fifty feet high into the vortex.

A desperate, ragged cry tore from her throat.

"Gray!" Lucy helplessly reached out an arm.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia released the cyclones and Gray went into freefall, his back and shoulder blades hitting the edge of the boulder. The sea-bitch reached out a clawed hand, catching him by the wrist. A triumphant smile widened her predatory, fanged mouth.

"Ow! What? What the hell?" Gray yelped before he was plunged into the frigid depths by the creature.

 _Gray!_ He had talked!

Frosted sheets of film formed on the water. Gray jettisoned himself above the girls on his ice make slide.

"I don't know what the actual _fuck_ is going on, but go to hell, you scaly bitch!" His magic swirled for a moment, then a large, frozen bow and arrow appeared. Gray slotted the arrow against the bowstring, nocking it quickly and aimed directly at the siren's chest. The released projectile blurred as it shot past, far faster than the eye could follow.

Only to be blocked by the siren's palm. The ice bolt shimmered in mid-air for a moment, then the _scaly bitch_ flicked her hand and the weapon became droplets falling harmlessly into the lake around them.

Juvia resumed her attack in earnest, sending her water slicer at the siren, while Gray made two ice swords, lunging at the creature. Lucy watched as Gray and Juvia fought, seeming to coordinate their attacks effortlessly.

And what was she doing?

Doggy paddling in a grimy lake. Waiting on the sidelines. Utterly spent of magical energy and therefore completely useless.

Lucy dragged herself back to the water's edge, pulling herself onto the sand. Her friends were all fighting and she couldn't do anything to help them. She didn't even have Natsu's excuse of being knocked out.

 _I'm weak. Juvia should be part of Team Natsu, not me._

She barely registered when Erza exploded out of the lake like a cannon shot, joining the fray.

Somehow, between the three Fairy Tail wizards, the horrible shrieking finally stopped. She didn't even care who landed the final blow on the scaly-ass bitch. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was an incompetent wizard who probably didn't even deserve to be part of Fairy Tail.

Juvia collapsed to her knees when she reached the sandbar and Gray caught her before she fell over completely. His jacket and shirt were gone, his bare chest glistening with water droplets, the blue guild mark on his right pectoral muscle looking almost black in the hazy sunlight.

He bent over the blunette, his face showing concern as he helped her regain her footing.

 _Well, this is just perfect,_ Lucy thought _._ A shitty end to an even shittier day. Gray didn't look _flirty,_ per se, but he _was_ treating Juvia gently and far kinder than Lucy had seen in the past.

"Are you alright?" he asked the rain woman.

She glowed pink, but her smile of gratitude was unmistakable. "Thank you, Gray-sama. Juvia is just tired from the fight. It will take a few minutes to recover."

"You did a stupendous job," Erza praised, slapping a gauntlet-covered hand across Juvia's shoulders. The blunette winced. "I don't think we would've defeated the sirens without you."

"How did you even know we were here?" Lucy asked glumly. Not that she was ungrateful to Juvia for saving her life.

Her friend's face went scarlet. "Juvia...followed you. Juvia read the mission at the guild yesterday and wanted to keep an eye on Gray-sama."

"That's creepy," Lucy blurted out before she had a chance to think. Gray and Erza stared at her in astonishment.

 _It_ _ **is**_ _creepy!_ She thought defensively.

Erza cleared her throat. "While I don't approve of you following us, there's no denying your help was needed."

Gray was rubbing the back of his neck, shifting from one foot to the other awkwardly. "Uh… yeah. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I'm pretty sure you just saved my life back there. So… thanks."

Her cornflower eyes grew twice as big. "Does this mean Gray-sama is ready to return Juvia's love?"

"Can you please just stop acting like such a whack job?" he begged, absentmindedly patted his front pockets. "Man, I need a smoke."

"No, you don't. You gave up that disgusting habit seven months ago." Erza told him sternly. "And if I so much as catch a whiff of tobacco on you, I will personally come back here with your mutilated body in chum buckets and feed you to the sea."

 _Whoa, she doesn't mess around._

Turning Gray into fish food sounded gruesome. And a complete waste of a hot sexy man.

Gray turned out his empty pockets to show he wasn't hiding some soggy, ruined cigarettes and gave the redhead a sour look. "I _know._ I'm just saying it's been a tough day."

"Hey guys, I think Natsu is waking up," Happy called from a half dozen feet away. They turned immediately in his direction, taking in the shifting form lying on the sand.

The four wizards rushed over, the fire mage was shaking his head and groaning, his fingers carding through his ruffled locks.

"Lusshi," he slurred, his eyes half-opened, then rolled into the back of his head as he slumped back down.

"I'm here, Natsu," Lucy sat beside him, taking his right hand into both of hers and squeezing firmly.

The pinkette's eyes fluttered open once more and Lucy couldn't help but notice that, for a man, he had ridiculously long eyelashes. His emerald green eyes focused on her.

"Did we win?"

A barking laugh escaped her lips. _Of course that's the first thing he'd ask._

"We sure did, Natsu," she smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

 _No thanks to me._ The smile dropped from her face into a disappointed frown. Natsu cocked his head, squinting as he took in her expressions.

"Stop doing weird things to your face, weirdo. Makes me dizzy. So we won?"

"Yes, Natsu. We won," Erza confirmed.

"Alright! I'm all fired up now," Natsu gave his signature smile, all brilliant white teeth and flashing incisors. He sat up quickly, then stood, giving himself an all-over body shake like a wet dog. Sand flicked off in all directions and everyone stepped away to avoid getting pelted.

Natsu unwrapped his scarf from his neck, brushing it off. The grit and sand fell away, the white knit material gleaming in the sun. Beaming, the fire mage looped it back around his throat, fingering the scaly soft fabric in a habitual motion.

"I'm good to go!" he declared. Happy gave him an enthusiastic high five.

Lucy couldn't believe he recovered so fast. But killing the sirens had broke the spell, so maybe that's why he snapped out of it so quickly? Or maybe the bump on the head by Happy hadn't been as bad as she thought? Or maybe because he was a dragon slayer, he healed quickly?

 _Or maybe it doesn't matter, just as long as we can get out of here._

On their long walk back to the train station, Erza filled the boys and Juvia in on what had happened after the sirens had bewitched them, making sure to call Gray and Natsu 'idiots who lacked proper focus and discipline.'

Repeatedly.

Neither man looked pleased that they had been so easily captured, but Natsu took his irritation to the next level – personally affronted that he was spelled (when the girls weren't). But he was especially frustrated that he'd recovered _after_ Gray.

Natsu let loose a huge fireball into the air and then punched a tree so hard it fell over, splintering as it crashed into the underbrush.

"I've never seen Natsu this upset before," Lucy commented to Erza as she shuffled her tired body along the bumpy path of overgrowth that the redhead _claimed_ was the shortest way to get out of this godforsaken place.

"He's just mad he didn't get to fight the sirens himself," Erza explained. (Needlessly, as the fire wizard was directly ahead of them, venting loudly about 'scaly fish women and their dirty tricks'.)

"I can't believe I missed it!" Natsu growled, his canines still visible from beneath his lips as he grimaced. "I needed a good fight."

Sympathizing with the dragon slayer's malcontent, Lucy had hoped Gray might show a little restraint when talking about the battle. After all, he had been revived from the siren song by sheer dumb luck.

But apparently bugging the shit out of the fire wizard was just too much fun.

With a smug grin on his face, Gray went into extensive detail—apparently he had dealt the finishing blow—going through a play-by-play account with Juvia hanging off his arm like a rockstar's groupie.

"I used my ice blade, seven slice dance..."

"Gray-sama was so brave!" Juvia added with a look of total adoration on her face that Lucy could've done without. The water woman was hugging his bicep tightly, but it was doubtful he even noticed her suctioned to him like a barnacle – he was too preoccupied with taunting the pinkette.

Natsu's jaw was tight and his eyebrow twitched. He looked ready to explode.

"I could've taken her out in three seconds, ice dick!"

He stormed off with Happy flying behind him, cutting a burning wrath of destruction with every step, the earth literally scorching beneath his feet.

Lucy raised a quizzical brow at Erza, who just shrugged.

"Don't worry about it, Lucy. Natsu will be fine by the time we get back to Magnolia. He isn't the type to hold a grudge. He just needs to let off some steam. You know how men can get."

But Lucy didn't know how men could get. She was just now starting to learn. But she gave the expected nod back to Erza and kept on walking.

* * *

On the train ride home, Natsu's motion sickness got the best of him ten minutes in and he ended up puking his guts out in Erza's purse. Which was unfortunate.

Mainly for him.

The requip wizard took one look at her ruined bag and punched his lights out.

"That was a little harsh, don't you think?" Lucy took pity on the dragon slayer. Knocked out cold twice in one day…both times by your supposed teammates.

"Humph...I think it's the perfect solution to his motion sickness," Erza replied, acting like her destroyed purse had nothing to do with it.

Gray's voice was full of mirth. "You did the right thing, Erza." He stretched himself out on the bench, his long legs crossed at the ankles, his folded hands beneath his head.

"Thank you, Gray. It's nice to know someone can appreciate an elegant solution when they see it." Erza carefully picked up her soiled bag by the strap and threw it in the garbage.

"Erza is scary," Happy said in a small voice to Lucy. The blonde nodded quickly in agreement.

She managed with the exceed's help to get Natsu's prone body upright on a train seat. Unfortunately, he was floppy...the fast-moving train had him sliding forward. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her to stop him from face-planting on the floor.

Only to have the fire wizard's head land right on her breasts.

"Wow, Lucy. I didn't realize you really used those things for pillows," Happy said with wonder in his voice.

"You do seem to be getting close to Natsu." Erza observed slyly.

"Guys! It's not what it looks like!" Lucy protested her innocence, pushing Natsu's head off her chest…

… Only to have it fall face down in her lap.

 _Oh, this is so much better._

"Lucy-san is so _bold!"_ Juvia exclaimed.

The celestial mage grabbed a fistful of Natsu's pink hair, angling him so he was still on her lap, but facing away from her. She tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke, but couldn't keep the squeak out of it entirely. "I'm just helping a friend, I'd do the same for any of you."

"I believe it," Gray said casually. Lucy caught his gaze, and he sent her a lopsided smile, causing butterflies to form in her stomach as her cheeks warmed.

Juvia gasped, but before she could start in on her 'love rival' tirade, Erza spoke, her words leaving no room for argument.

"Indeed. I believe you would help any friend in need, Lucy. Don't you agree, Juvia?"

The water woman turned her wide eyes to the requip wizard. Juvia brushed her blue hair back from her face and met Lucy's eyes.

"Lucy-san has been a good friend to Juvia, yes," she admitted, her head hanging down slightly as as she became preoccupied with her hands twisting in her lap.

"As you've always been a good friend to me, Juvia," _Almost always._ "Thank you for coming to save us back there. I owe you my life."

Juvia blushed and gave a slight nod. "You are welcome."

They all lapsed into silence after that, each preoccupied with their own thoughts for the rest of the train ride.

About fifteen minutes away from their station, a groaning and complaining Natsu came to. She had given him a small smile as she began shifting out from beneath him, only for him to complain loudly. He insisted he was too woozy to get off of her. Having seen his motion sickness firsthand, she wasn't the least bit surprised and let him lay still.

Besides, he'd had a rough day. Mavis knew they all had.

He wasn't very talkative, but there was something different about having him conscious, with his head lying on her lap.

All during the train ride, she had kept one steadying hand on his shoulder, just to make sure he didn't slide out of his seat. Now that he was awake, she preoccupied herself with looking at his thick salmon-pink hair.

 _What an unusual colour for a man._

She liked the way it spiked it all directions She wanted to run her fingers through it, combing through the tufts with her fingers from root to tip. It looked soft.

 _Did it feel that soft?_

Her hand twitched on his shoulder, but stayed where it was.

Natsu angled his head slightly toward her, one of his jade eyes snagging her glance. His lips quirked up when he noticed her watching him...a different smile than she had ever seen on his face before.

She quickly averted her eyes to his spiky hair, bowing her head to shake her golden tresses so that they formed a curtain, concealing her face. She could feel heat colouring her cheeks pinker than the fire-mage's locks.

She knit her brows when her heart stuttered, reprimanding herself.

 _Don't be silly. You helped Levy when she was sick. You held her hair back,_ she chastised herself as if it was the same thing.

It wasn't the same, though.

Mercifully, the train let out its shrill whistle and they deboarded, parting ways at the train station, with the exception of Natsu and Happy following Lucy. Both of them started making noises about coming back to her apartment to eat leftovers and build a couch fort for another sleepover.

The idea was appealing and discomforting all at once.

"You can have dinner at my house, but I wanted to invite Levy over for a girl's night," she told them. It was a half-truth. She _did_ want to talk to her best friend, but she hadn't thought of a sleepover until Natsu had given her the idea.

When they got back to her place, she let the exceed and the pinkette raid her fridge while she had a long shower to get off the rancid smell of vulcan and lake water, scrubbing herself down with a loofa until her skin was raw and pink.

She changed into fuzzy lavender pajama bottoms and a white tank top. She pulled white bunny slippers onto her feet— _Gajeel must never see these_ —and went downstairs to invite Levy over while the boys were still eating.

Natsu looked disappointed when she returned and told him Levy loved the idea of a slumber party and was busy packing her overnight bag. (Books. She was packing books. And a toothbrush. Probably.)

"Can I bring home another fish, Lucy?" Happy asked.

"Of course you can." Silly cat. Happy vanished back inside her kitchen. Natsu watched him go, and then moved toward her.

"Aw, are you sure we can't stay?" Natsu gave her the big puppy dog eyes… or in his case, big baby dragon eyes. She giggled at him, shaking her head.

Natsu dropped the act, his face turning serious. She hadn't noticed before how when his face stilled, he looked darker, less carefree. It sent heat coiling inside the pit of her stomach.

He came closer, his arm pressed into the wall above her head. She took an involuntary step back, finding herself pressed against the whitewashed brick of her hallway.

Natsu hovered, pupils widening until only the smallest circle of jade remained. His breath fanned her face, smelling both sweet and spicy… like cinnamon red hots.

"You sure, Luce?" The words were smooth, but his voice was rough, like it was caught on the edge of a cough.

Suddenly she wasn't sure of anything.

Lucy felt all the air leave her lungs and a nervous jump inside her heart. Natsu's eyes had turned forest green with gold flecks. There was wilderness in them. Something snarled and untamed in those lush depths.

Beckoning her.

Those dark eyes flickered across her face, sending sparks shooting down her veins; heating up parts of her even the hot shower hadn't reached. He angled his head down slightly, his full lips parting just a bit.

Her eyes tracked his movements, heart thundering inside her chest. She could feel herself tense up. _What was happening?_ She felt a blush blooming on her cheeks and she twisted her head to the side, slamming her eyes shut.

She let out a small, helpless bleat...the lamb caught in front of the dragon.

She felt the rapid signs of withdrawal. The heat that had gathered so close to her disappeared as Natsu straightened, leaving behind chill air and a sense of loss on her overheated body.

Lucy opened her eyes in time to see Natsu flashing her a crooked grin, but his emerald eyes had closed off...a secret grove.

Her heart fluttered for a moment before resuming its normal beat. Well, close enough. It felt like her pulse was racing for some strange reason. She shook her head and stepped away from him.

 _That was weird._

The words were on the tip of her tongue to ask him what was happening, but the fire dragon slayer spoke first.

"Nevermind, Luce. Have fun with Levy." He gave her an easy smile, his sharp canines peeking out, but the tightly corded muscles of his shoulders looked tense.

He pushed himself off the wall. Before she could gather the wherewithal to ask him to stay, he called to Happy, who flew out of her kitchen.

Then they were gone.

She nibbled at her bottom lip, her brain as scattered as the stars.

 _This day has been way too long._

She left her door ajar to let Levy know she could just walk right in. She went into her kitchen cupboard to dig out her best chocolate selection.

"Hey, LuLu! I'm here!" The script mage called, dropping her overnight bag to the floor with a sharp thud.

"Be right there!" Lucy gathered several boxes of chocolate. She balanced two quarts of ice cream on top of the boxes along with a package of cookies, two teaspoons and a white paper bag filled with brownies. She brought the spread to her living room. Levy was already sitting on the couch with a novel in her hand. She dumped the whole lot on the coffee table in front of the blunette.

Levy took one glance at the confectionery cavalry in front of her and knew her best friend was calling in the reinforcements.

"Uh oh... Lu-chan, what happened?"

Lucy heaved a long sigh, grabbing a box of Swiss handmade-in-small-batches chocolate, plopping on the couch beside her friend as she ripped off the lid.

"Levy… I have a lot to tell you."

* * *

 _ **Note – Band or troop is the name for a group of gorillas. I realize I portrayed vulcans and sirens differently in these chapters than how they are in Fairy Tail (especially the sirens), but I hope in spite of that you enjoyed the chapters anyway!**_

* * *

 _ **So…what did everyone think of the Lucy and Natsu moments? (Everyone hurls rotten veg, beer bottles and insults at me.) I duck and hide, but secretly? I don't even blame you!**_

* * *

 _ **A/N - I have now moved this story into an 'M' rating. I have changed Chapter 1 to warn of this. I have been skirting the edges of T, but I feel as though the T rating is restricting where this story can and should go. It will still stay light and fluffy and I will put a warning on top of future chapters that are 18+ for those that don't want to read anything potentially jarring. I hope I don't lose you readers because of this, but I understand fully if I do.**_

 _ **Shout-outs to last chapter's reviewers! noseinabook145, stranger1999, Slash2104, Celistastar, TheJSmooth, ligerscool, ShanaHollows, AzmariaMinohi, Bakers28, MasterGildarts, theycallmebridge JAKEDSNAKE, artistofthemind, DreamWeaver2121, Animeisheaven, Graciewashere33, quite-a-riot, Satyryrkal, Avalanche65, and wordsaremyspeels1331 (x2!)**_

 _ **You guys are awesome!**_


	15. Chapter 15 - Courting Fate

**Chapter Fifteen: Courting Fate**

Levy sat perched on the couch with her pint-sized container of double-chocolate ice cream clutched in one hand, steadily liquefying...unseen and unnoticed. Her focus was entirely on her best friend recanting her first job as part of Team Natsu.

As missions go, it was a _doozy._

"...so then Gray, Juvia and Erza finished off the last siren," Lucy concluded her story, which she had dubbed 'Battle of the Most Perverted Monsters _Ever_.'

"Wow. That was way too close for comfort, LuLu! Are you sure you're alright?" Levy asked, taking in the sight of her blonde best friend shoveling in junk food like it was going out of style. She looked down at her own container which now held ice cream soup.

 _Oh well._ She'd probably eaten enough tonight. She stuck the spoon back inside the carton and set it down on the coffee table, a ring of condensation forming on the surface.

"I'm...I don't know _what_ I am, Levs. Exhausted and confused, mostly." The celestial mage was scrounging around her half-eaten assorted chocolate box, hunting for a strawberry creme. Levy cocked her head at the statement.

"The exhaustion part I get, but what are you so confused about?" She had paid careful attention to the entire debacle of a mission. It didn't _seem_ likely that she would've missed anything.

Lucy's nutmeg eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know...if I'm strong enough to be part of Team Natsu," The blonde admitted in a hushed tone, the insecurity evident in her voice as she tucked a stray lock behind her ear.

Her confession struck a chord deep in the blunette's heart.

 _Lucy._

Levy shook her head. She knew how hard her best friend wrestled with the urge to be better—to be stronger—to never let anyone down.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that Aquarius was always berating Lucy for not having a boyfriend. Or maybe it was because Lucy didn't always in control of her spirits' actions. For whatever reason, Levy knew that Lucy constantly wrestled with the idea of not being quite good enough.

Of all the dribbling insecurities the blonde had, that one always bounced back to the top of her mind.

"Lu-chan, of _course_ you're strong enough! You totally helped beat the vulcans! The job didn't even _say_ anything about sirens. Without you telling Happy to knock Natsu out, he would've gone straight into the water!"

Lucy frowned, leaning forward as she argued back, "Yeah, but if I hadn't wasted my magic on Horologuim and Virgo, I would've been able to call Aquarius and save them both! If Juvia hadn't been there, Gray and I would be dead by now! He would've killed me while he was under the siren's thrall and then that scaly-ass sea-bitch would've drowned him!"

Lucy slammed her chocolate box on the side table hard enough that several black wrappers jumped and wafted down to the floor, startling her companion. "Don't you get it, Levy? Juvia should be part of Team Natsu, not _me_." The blonde bit her lip, her voice petering off as she dropped her gaze. "She's the much stronger mage. And...she gets along well with everyone."

The bookworm knew _everyone_ translated to _Gray Fullbuster._

Levy took in her best friend's scowling face. She knew Juvia's newfound interest in Gray was a sore spot.

Licking her lips, she considered her next words carefully.

"Look, I'm not discounting Juvia's help, but she didn't fight the vulcans at all. She was fresh for the battle while you were already seriously depleted. Plus, she's a water mage! Her magic is practically _made_ for siren fighting!"

Her best friend still didn't look convinced, so Levy switched to a different tactic – determined to sway her.

"You can't be so hard on yourself, Lu. You fought your hardest and would've died to save a member of your team," Levy swallowed thickly as she realized how close she could have come to losing her best friend today, but she shoved that thought aside to soldier on, "Remember what Erza said when we went for brunch a few weeks ago? 'True strength is in the heart'."

And with that statement, Lucy burst into tears.

 _What in the fig newtons is going on?_ She wondered. Bewildered, she reached over to pull her best friend into a hug.

"There, there, Lu. What is it?" She soothed, rubbing slow circles on her friend's back, resting her cheek against the top of the other girl's head.

Lucy let out a few huge gulping sobs and then pulled back to look at Levy, her eyes bright with tears. "It's just...how do you know what's in your heart, Levy?"

The script wizard was taken aback by the question. All her life, she had been a thinker. It was natural for her to dissect and rationalize. To pull apart a puzzle as though it was a snarled knot that her clear-cut intellect could snip like scissors, freeing the strands.

Her most prized asset was her mind. She was constantly reading, studying, practicing new languages to feed her voracious appetite. Her skills and magic were unique and much sought-after. Her brain was her bread and butter and her almost singular point of pride.

But matters of the heart?

She could recite poems verbatim or pull out a lexicon of philosophers, academics, playwrights and whole bodies of literature that talked about love _..._ but she would just be parroting someone else's words, mimicking someone else's feelings.

Besides, standing on ceremony and pontificating wasn't Levy's style. Apart from her grammar corrections of the boys, of course. As as far as she was concerned, that was a necessity. Whoever the dragon slayers had as tutors had been sorely remiss in teaching basic fundamentals, so it was her duty to fix such atrocities.

It would be too pretentious by half to start spouting sonnets at her best friend, though.

Still...she was smart enough to deduce where this conversation was invariably headed and decided to broach _that_ topic rather than delve into her lackluster love life.

"Why are you asking? Is this about Gray?"

"I...maybe?" Lucy grabbed several tissues from the box on her end table, blowing her nose with a loud honk.

"I feel very confused around him," she confessed, scrunching the used tissue in her fist. "I keep hoping he'll ask me out, but he never does. And now with Juvia crushing on him...shouldn't I just back off? I have no idea what to do."

Lucy fixed quavering eyes on her best friend, pleading for help. The deep caramel faded to mud with the weight of her insecurities.

 _What to do, what to do?_ Levy pondered the problem. Gray definitely _was_ hot physically, but emotionally he was as cold as the ice magic he used.

Maybe he had flirted a bit, but he had this frustrating way of keeping things friendly enough to give Lucy hope, but distant enough to give her doubt.

 _No wonder Lucy feels like she's getting mixed signals._

… _Wait a minute._ Levy's brain flared like a supernova when the _most brilliant idea ever_ hit her.

"Lu-chan, do you know what you need?"

The blonde sighed, looking down at herself. A bit of chocolate ice cream stained her white tank top, cookie crumbs were scattered on her lap, and candy wrappers surrounded her. She sniffled, rubbing her nose with kleenex.

"I have no idea what I need, Levy." She flapped one hand at her grimy, sad appearance. She probably looked like a used party napkin – smeared over and crumpled up.

Lucy hazarded, "Maybe a makeover?"

"No, not a make _over_ but a make _out_ session!" Levy declared, restraining herself from throwing her hands up in triumph of her impeccable solution. The blonde jerked back, pupils blown wide.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Levy tried to stop the slow-spreading smile from appearing on her face, but her idea was just _too good._ She could see her friend's doe eyes dilating in alarm.

Fair enough. All her best schemes had _some_ element of risk...

"Look, do you remember a few weeks ago when I said you should be dating mages?" she quizzed her best friend.

"Um...yeah, I guess? But Gray's the only guy I like." Lucy replied, but the words came out off-kilter. The blunette noticed and raised her left eyebrow.

"The only guy you _think_ you like," Levy countered firmly, watching carefully as the blonde wiped her clammy hands on her PJ bottoms.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy asked and the script mage thought she sounded almost nervous.

The blunette said slowly, "I'm not sure yet...exactly."

Lucy quirked a brow up in disbelief.

"No, honestly. It's just...an idea I have." Levy stealthily avoided direct eye contact, picking at some invisible lint on her orange dress instead.

"What's the idea, Levs?" Suspicion coloured her tone, pressing her lips tightly together.

Levy leapt off the couch to start tidying up the chocolate wrappers and gathering the ice cream containers, which only served to further fuel the blonde's scepticism. Since when does Levy _clean_?

"I don't want to get into it yet. It's probably nothing. I have to do some research."

"Researching _what?_ Lev, you're crazy!"

"Yeah, I'm crazy. But you love me. Just trust me, Lu. Can you do that?" Levy gave her the _best-friends-forever-pinky-swear_ eyes.

 _Dammit!_ Lucy knew she had no defense against those.

The blunette knew it too, because her sugary smile grew sweeter. Lucy was getting a toothache just looking at her. "We should go to sleep, LuLu! You've had a hard day. Let's go to bed."

With that, the shorter girl bounded up in a whirlwind while her friend just watched in defeat. The celestial mage wanted to protest, but she _was_ utterly exhausted. Mentally, physically, and emotionally wiped right out.

"Okay, Levs. Let's go brush our teeth and read for a bit."

Levy took out the sixteen books she had brought— _they were different genres!_ —and frowned at the gaping emptiness inside her bag.

"You forgot your toothbrush again, didn't you?" Lucy asked.

Levy stuck out her tongue. "It's not like I live far! I'll just pop downstairs to get it!"

The pixie girl went to retrieve her toothbrush while the blonde changed into fresh PJ's, not wanting to get crumbs in her bed. By the time the Levy returned, the stellar mage was already curled up under her blankets, fast asleep from her trying day.

 _Perfect._

Levy had brought a few extra books...ones she didn't want to show her best friend. She made up a bed on the couch. She pulled out an ancient, leather-bound book. Settling in under her blanket, she tucked her legs in so that they were fully covered, adjusting her pillow so that she was comfortable and cozy.

She began reading.

* * *

Lucy woke up the next morning to find herself alone in her apartment. There was a note from her best friend pinned under the star-shaped bowl that held her celestial keys.

 _Just heading to Crocus. I'll see you in a couple of days, my starry-eyed girl!_

 _Love ya!_

 _Levy-chan of the mother-channing-ninja clan_

 _X_

The 'starry-eyed girl' part raised Lucy's brows and suspicions tenfold. Levy called her several nicknames, 'Lu-chan' and 'Lu' being the norm, but she only went into effervescent mode when she was seriously up to no good. She suppressed a small shudder. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up.

 _Who's afraid of the little blue wolf?_

She was.

She brushed aside the sense of foreboding. She would catch up to Levy in due course. The script mage wouldn't be able to keep a secret for long. Lucy crumpled up the note and dropped it into the wastebasket beside her desk with a small shudder and got ready for the day.

* * *

It was one of those deceptively sunny mornings that looked and felt warm until the biting wind sunk its teeth into your skin. She found herself caught halfway between her house and the guild before she cursed herself for not wearing a jacket. Lucy wrapped her arms around herself, filled with determination not to bother going back to fetch it, despite the temperature steadily dropping.

"Lucy, you're right on time!" Mirajane called out sweetly the second she crossed the threshold. Lucy furrowed her brows.

"Huh? Right on time for what?"

Mira shot her a concerned look, as if she might have memory-issues. "We have to catch the train to Margaret Town. We're going to model together for next month's issue of Sorcerer Weekly, remember?"

The blonde smacked her forehead.

Yes, of course. She _had_ forgotten. Mira had arranged the photo shoot via lacrima after Erza's party. Apparently whoever was going to do their shoot had already committed to writing a piece on the Lamia Scale guild and asked if Mira and Lucy could just meet them there.

"Right! Ugh...I just forgot to bring my bag with me. Why don't I met you at the station? Our train doesn't leave for another couple of hours, right?" Lucy asked hopefully.

"Don't be silly! The train leaves in…" Mira consulted her watch, tapping the clock face as she hummed, "thirty-eight minutes exactly. I'll come with you to your apartment. Shouldn't take more than a minute to grab your stuff." Mira rolled her own gloss black hard-shelled suitcase from behind the bar and appearing beside the celestial mage. "You can grab a jacket, too."

"Yeah...of course, that's a great idea," Lucy mumbled weakly. She looked around the guildhall. She felt bad about leaving for a few days without even saying goodbye to Natsu and Happy, but there was no hope for it. Her teammates would be fine on their own. She hurried beside the silver-headed beauty to rush back to her place.

Mira happily chirped beside her as they walked along — all about how much fun they were going to have together. Lucy hardly heard a word, but kept nodding enthusiastically to the takeover mage. She was concentrating on what she should say and do once they were inside her apartment and the barkeep realized she hadn't packed a thing.

They were in front of her apartment building in no time at all. She opened her door and let the Mira walk in ahead of her.

"Um...why don't you take a look around? I'll just go grab my bag from my room." It would be a short tour, seeing as she only had four small rooms – living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.

"That sounds great, Lucy! But hurry...we can't miss the train," Mira reminded her gently.

Lucy disappeared into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Yes, she probably _should_ confess she'd forgotten all about the photo shoot and even recruit Mira into helping her pack. The barkeep was kind and understanding.

 _Unlike a certain redhead she could name..._

But she just couldn't do it. _Could not._ After screwing up on Mt. Haboke yesterday, she didn't want to start another job with another guild member admitting she wasn't prepared. Even though the job was just posing in a bikini, she couldn't stand the thought of Mira's cobalt eyes looking up at her in disappointment.

Lucy put on a wool coat. She pulled out her textured Italian leather rolling suitcase and grabbed a gate key.

"Open...Gate of the twins. Gemini," she whispered as softly as she could.

"Piri, piri!" said Mini and Gemi said together joyfully as they appeared floating in the air in front of her. Lucy flushed, holding one finger to her mouth.

"Shush...please, guys. We need to be quiet," she begged, glancing warily at her closed but stupidly unlocked door.

Unfortunately her two little spirits were just too enthusiastic – jumping and bouncing all over her room while she kept tried to make shushing motions at them. They bumped into her bedside lamp, sending it crashing over.

"Everything alright, Lucy?" Mira called from probably ten steps away.

 _Shit._

"Yup! I'm coming out right now!" she called back desperately.

"Gemini! Take my form," Lucy whispered urgently, holding out her palms to touch Mini and Gemi so they could copy her. The sweet little spirits joined together and instantly a clone of herself was standing there, complete with matching suitcase. Her copycat was her perfect likeness in every single way.

She always thought she should be slightly taller than she really was, though.

Lucy mumbled as quietly as possible. "You have to go out with Mira now, okay? Talk to her and go to the train station. I'll meet you guys there." _I hope._

"Right! See you there!" Gemini answered in her own voice.

She never got used to that, either.

Lucy hid behind her closet door as Gemini walked out of her room, Mira being her usual generous self and complimenting how fast 'Lucy' was at getting her stuff and that her red jacket was cute.

The second the door clicked closed behind Mira and Gemini, she sprung into action. Underwear, skirts, tops, PJ's and a couple of extra bras went into her suitcase without issue. She stopped dead at her shoe collection, gnawing on her lip.

 _She had so many cute pairs of shoes!_

Reining herself in by sheer force of will and a raging, real fear of missing the train, she packed one pair of adorable sandals, one pair of heels, and—because Gemini was already wearing them—the brown boots she currently had on would have to suffice.

There would be a wardrobe department at the photoshoot, so she could probably fall back on her sex appeal if she needed to borrow a few more pairs of shoes...or some adorable outfits. Mira had told her she'd be able to keep the bikini she posed in...so that was something.

She ran to the bathroom and grabbed her toiletries and she was racing out the door less than ten minutes behind the takeover wizard and her doppleganger.

She ran full-out to the train station, dragging her suitcase behind her with a complete and total disregard for crosswalk signs. Natsu claimed they were just 'light suggestions.' She gave frantic, apologetic waves to pedestrians she elbowed through the crowds, and one startled 'sorry!' to a motorist when she literally made him slam on his brakes to avoid mowing her down. She didn't dare stop.

Was there a God of Recklessness and Near Death? If so, he was smiling down upon her. She managed to beat Mira and her spirits to the station.

She ducked into a bathroom and splashed a bit of cold water on her sweaty face, drying it with a brown paper towel that absorbed almost no water.

 _Seriously? Why do bathrooms have such useless paper?_ The toilet roll would have done a better job. Her face still damp and pink when she finished, but she couldn't afford to miss the train.

It would have to do.

She cautiously exited the bathroom, her feet throbbing. She could feel a blister forming on her right heel. These boots were made for walking, not running. She caught sight of silver hair and managed to duck behind a newsstand as Mira and the twins sauntered by in deep conversation.

When the takeover wizard went to pay for their tickets, she discreetly dismissed Gemini and closed their celestial gate. She flounced up as if she had been there the whole time, sending a small, grateful prayer to Mavis for her flawless performance. Mira glanced up at her still-flushed face.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, Lucy. I'm glad you told me," Mira said softly, handing her a train ticket.

 _What? What did Gemini say?_

"Um...right." The wheels in her head spun into overdrive as they boarded the train and found where they would be sitting. Lucy stowed her bag in the overhead compartment and sat across from Mira.

"And don't worry, I wouldn't tell the others. I know you're worried about that. Despite what some people would have you believe, I _can_ keep a secret." Mira murmured in a reassuring tone.

 _What did Gemini sayyyy?_ Lucy nibbled on her bottom lip nervously.

"I trust you, Mira," Lucy said sincerely, trying to hedge her bets. "But I was wondering if you had any advice...about...about...the situation?"

That sounded totally plausible, right?

Mira's eyes grew into pink hearts and she let out a small squeal of delight. The model shot right out of her seat and fell into the chair beside Lucy. She grabbed the blonde's hand.

"You should date both of them." Mira said with conviction.

It only took her a second to decipher what Mira was talking about. Lucy wasn't stupid. There could only be one duo of men Mira thought she should date.

Her partner…

...and his best friend.

 _ **That's what she'd been thinking about?!**_

 _Fuck._ _My._ _Life._

Gemini could not only duplicate someone's form and talk in their voice, but the small spirits knew what the person they copied were thinking. Gemi and Mini would've talked about whatever thoughts Lucy had most recently on her mind. Since they garnered the thoughts of the people they replicated, they made perfect spies.

She never suspected they'd spill her own secrets, though.

She dropped her head in both hands, beyond simple embarrassment. She wanted to call Virgo to dig a hole for her...a deep one. Maybe in about 400 years, she'd come out.

"Oh hahaha, I was only joking about that, Mira," she said sheepishly. She tried to twist her hair around her neck like a scarf, pulling it forward so it covered half her blushing face. _Casually._

She needed to deflect this situation – _fast_.

"I never thought Natsu was into girls," she murmured, yanking on her hair a bit more. Natsu didn't creep her out like most men did, and he definitely wasn't a pervert who looked at her tits all the time — * _cough Gajeel cough* —_ but he didn't seem like the romantic type at all.

Lucy kept talking, almost tripping over her words.

"Is he into girls? He might want to date men." She tried to give a nonchalant shrug like it made absolutely no difference to her, but her shoulders were too tense—she looked like she was about to break out into the chicken dance—almost jabbing Mira with a stray elbow.

"Natsu... _gay_?" Mira dodged the wayward elbow with ease, waving a dismissive hand. "Natsu's straight as a shot of single malt scotch, Lucy."

 _I know._

Son of a bitch! Why did she keep thinking of her pink-haired partner like that? There was definitely something wrong with her to have all these insane thoughts running through her brain.

Maybe she gotten bonked on the head and was still on Mt. Haboke right now under Pervert Watch and this was all some weird, escapist dream?

That sounded totally plausible, right?

But Mira stared at her expectantly, so she had to say _something._

"Oh."

Simple. Honest. Effective. As noncommittal grunts go, it was Top 5 material.

"Did you want to play some cards to pass the time?" Mira suggested kindly.

Lucy gave a relieved smile and seized the change of topic.

"Definitely."

* * *

 _Eight days later…_

Lucy soaked in her tub, bubbles high and fragrant around her. She had taken the entire day off after coming back from the photo shoot.

 _What a week._ She had enjoyed meeting the Lamia Scale guild. She had no idea that Lyon Vastia was Gray's adopted brother until Mira told her.

Apparently the two didn't get along very well. She didn't get much of a chance to talk to Lyon or anyone else from Lamia Scale, because another guild had shown up at Margaret Town to be interviewed – Blue Pegasus.

Their leader Ichiya had solicitously inquired after Erza once he learned they from Fairy Tail, going on and on about 'his sweet honey and her most captivating _parfum_.'

Lucy had seen the Trimens in Sorcerer Weekly before and had thought they were super cute in interviews. They had the type of close relationship with each other that she'd respected – always acting like close teammates and bolstering each other up. In prior interviews she had read, they talked about Ichiya with deferential respect for their leader.

And then…

She'd met the horn dogs in real life.

Mira took it all in stride, including being hit on constantly by Ichiya, Ren, Hibiki and Eve. They hit on Lucy, too. They hit on _every_ woman they came across.

They hit on old grannies buying apples and they hit on teenage girls walking to school. They hit on mothers walking with strollers. They hit on strange women right in front of their husbands.

They could be flirting with one woman and if another girl came into sight, they would stop talking mid-sentence and abandon their first conquest to go smoothly up to the next. Their egos knew no bounds.

It had been amusing at first, but rapidly descended into irritating when Lucy had to stand around for hours, waiting for her turn to be interviewed. The boys kept drifting off to go chat up someone else, offering ladies everything from cups of tea to foot massages. It was delay after delay, holding up the shoot.

It had been a miracle the photographer got all four of them in one place for a group shot without hogtying them all together!

Lucy would've offered to do so with her whip if she hadn't suspected they would all like that _far too much..._

… Ichiya especially.

Once The Trimens were _finally_ in one place, they had insisted on doing what seemed like _hundreds_ of poses, which took even more time.

What was supposed to be a two day mission ended up costing her a full week of her life.

Lucy had thought Sorcerer Weekly was a huge operation, but Mira explained that it was up to the reporter, Jason to gather all the mages he wished to interview in one place to save on travel time.

She gave a long sigh. Modeling was hard work. Made even harder when you had a bunch of creeps sidling up to you when you were trying to choose a bikini...all offering their advice.

 _Unwanted, unappreciated, unsolicited advice._

Eve, Ren and Hibiki had been extremely _unhelpful_ – vying to "help you beautiful ladies tie the back of those bikini tops."

That would've been bad enough, but Ichiya had taken it one step further: he would take long sniffs in her general direction and talk about her 'enchanting _parfum_.' She had slapped his hands away from reaching her blonde locks more than once.

Lucy shuddered, as if he had actually touched her. She remembered his huge nostrils flaring as he silkily murmured: _'sniff sniff.'_

She hugged her knees to her chest. Then soaped herself up _again_ , the bodywash slick against her skin. Just thinking about that creep made her feel dirty. Those sniffs had been the absolute limit of perversion she could take. Even calling them all a bunch of freaks and Lucy-kicking Hibiki right in the stomach didn't stop their playboy antics. They were worse than Loke!

And _Mira?!_

Lucy had assumed that she and the takeover mage would've bonded together in sisterly solidarity, but Mira had remained her normal, cheerful self amidst the Trimens. Lucy knew the barkeep was a sweet person, but that didn't mean she had to be nice to all those lechers!

 _Although Mira probably has plenty of practice being nice to perverts right here at Fairy Tail._

The water started to get cold. Lucy used her toes to grasp the chain to pull the plug of her bath. She towelled off and debated about what to wear, choosing a pink top that showed zero cleavage (she had her fill of being almost-naked during the past few days, _thank you very much_ ), and some yellow shorts. She did her hair up in pigtails with pink ribbons.

She looked at herself in the full-length mirror – bright yellow hair, pink shirt, yellow shorts, she thought she looked like a piece of candy. Definitely cute. Sometimes she wished she were like candy...sweet on the inside, hard-shelled on the outside.

 _I wish I was stronger. I wish I wasn't always the weak link._

She let the thought darken her vision for an instant, then shook her head to clear it, straightening her spine. Maybe she wasn't the strongest mage, but Levy was right – she _had_ tried her best on Mt. Haboke and she would _definitely_ start reading missions more carefully from now on. She couldn't change the past, so she needed to concentrate on moving forward.

She sat at the edge of her bed to put on her nude-coloured sandals, tying the strap in neat bows behind her ankles. She hadn't seen Gray in several days. She should definitely head to the guild to check and see how those abs were doing.

For academic purposes only, mind you. Her journal entries were thinning out and as a conscientious writer, that simply wouldn't do.

Her heart gave a nervous knock when she thought about seeing her pyro partner. Things had been left on an odd note between them. Her stomach gave a nervous squelch at the idea of being alone with Natsu again.

But seeing him at the guild might cleanse away the sullied feeling that she had carried around with her the past few days from being surrounded by the Trimens. Mavis knew the bath hadn't done the trick.

She walked into the guildhall, saying hello to Freed (who politely greeted her back), Evergreen (who pointedly ignored her), Bickslow (who gave an enthusiastic wave and called her 'baby'...or was talking to one of his wooden spirit dolls. It was hard to tell with Bickslow), and Laxus (who looked at her like she was a pebble in his shoe...some minor irritation to be dealt with.) But since he looked that way at almost everybody, except for maybe Mira, she took no offense.

She spotted the older woman tending the bar and moved toward her. Despite the perverts of Blue Pegasus, she had enjoyed modelling with Mira. The silver-haired beauty was so upbeat, it was hard not to match her enthusiasm. Lucy was about to say good morning when the words dried up in her throat as she took in the expression her friend's face.

She froze in response like a woodland rabbit, ears pricked, waiting.

"Mira...what is it?" she whispered, fingering her celestial keys just in case they were in eminent danger, but in the next instant realized that if the problem was an intruder or some dark wizard, Mira would be sounding the alarm and rallying other guild members.

Mira looked at the blonde with worried eyes. It was an expression that she had never expected to see on the woman whose strength rivalled Erza's (if the rumours could be believed).

"I didn't do it…" Mira pleaded softly.

"Didn't do _what?_ Mira,what is it?" she whispered back, glancing furtively around the room, looking for signs of attack. The barmaid cringed, her lips pulling down in a grimace.

"Just...go look at the request board."

Lucy cocked an eyebrow. She had enough money to pay for almost four months rent thanks to the mission on Mt. Hakobe and the modeling job. She had planned to take a few days off, just logging in some hours at the bookstore and taking it easy.

She glanced at Mira dubiously, but Mira preoccupied herself with straightening some liquor bottles on a low glass shelf. Lucy walked over to the board, instantly spotting what had made the model so upset.

There, in black and white, was a flyer with her picture on it. It was a good photo. It was only a head shot, but she smiled happily, her eyes bright and inquisitive.

 _Why is my picture on the request board?_

Then she started reading.

 **Mission: Date with Lucy Heartfilia.**

 **Details: Lucy is an 18 year old celestial wizard with the Fairy Tail guild. Her interests include reading, writing and working out under the direct supervision of one of the guild's top wizards, Erza Scarlet. Lucy enjoys sushi, long walks on the beach and star-gazing.**

 _Long walks on the beach? Who writes this clichéd shit?_

 **Reward: True Love.**

There was only one person in the entire world who would dare try to pull something like this.

 _Levy!_

She grit her teeth, nostrils flaring in a way that would've made Ichiya proud, had he been there to see it. She spun on her heel, making eye contact with a sheepish Mira.

She was going to _kill_ her best friend.

* * *

 _ **Thank you to Satyrykal for her amazing input and editing mega-powers! She is a fantastic writer who deserves All The Love, so please check out Boiling Point and The Edge if you haven't yet! She just updated The Edge and it is so beautifully written, I just want to bask in its sunlit words.**_

* * *

 **A/N – I started writing this story exactly one year ago today in my kitchen, trying to flush out ideas. I had no idea where this story would lead or the friendships I would form along the way. It seems fitting that I publish the kernel chapter that started this whole adventure today.**

 _I need to thank_ _ **xSteleAliniax**_ _who encouraged me to start this,_ _ **ShanaHollows**_ _who said 'I think you have a story to tell,'_ _ **quite-a-riot,**_ _who gifts me with so much of her teaching, and_ _ **Satyrykal,**_ _who sees everything and helps me when I falter, for always being there._

 ** _Thank you, each of you, for all your support, for showing me how to be brave like you are. I hope to never let any of you down._**

* * *

 _ **We are finally at the Request Board! I would love to hear your thoughts on everything that has happened so far! I respond to every review with gratitude. You guys are incredible and I feel very lucky that people out there like to read my words and spend time with my story. It's the best feeling in the world.**_

 _ **Thank you for all your patience, feedback, reviews and prompts to keep me going!**_

 **Huge love and special thanks to my gorgeous reviewers from last time! Thanks to:** _ **JAKEDSNAKE and Slash2104**_ _(_ my Caribbean boys! Hey!) **Satyrykal** (my illustrious editor, friend and co-conspirator), **TheJSmooth** (always rocking) **, MasterGildarts** (first reviewer and has been with me since the beginning...thank you a million times over), **DreamWeaver2121** (of the fabulous name), **noseinabook145** (you're amazing), **ShanaHollows** (love you!), **They Call Me Bridge** (tons of thanks for all our conversations!), **stranger1999x2** (funny, I feel like I know you ;), **wordsaremyspells1331** (newfound friend!), **Writing Pixie** (so happy you decided to give me a shot! Thank you!), **Celistastar** (my girl!), **quite-a-riot** (mentor, senpai and friend), **RoyalDragonSevgisi15** (cheers!), **xSteleAliniax** (love you to bits!), **Bakers28** (a thousand mugs of ale to you!), **Star** (with thanks), **triennnigala** (new person, yah!), **SinInABox** (Best place to keep sins ;) **, Avalanche65** (mountains of love...yeah...I went there - x), **CelticHeart13** (thank you!) **x And to Professor of Gallifrey** (I know you're still out there, reading!) **xox**


	16. Chapter 16 - I'm Standing Right Here!

_**Thank you to my brilliant editor and friend, Satyrykal, for editing this chapter and making it way better. You're the best! x**_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen: I'm Standing Right Here!**

 **Reward: True Love.**

Lucy could feel the blood rushing in her ears as she tore her eyes away from the incriminating words.

She whirled on her heel to confront the sheepish Mira, her skirt fluttering around her thighs at the jarring movement. Her emotions bubbling over—shock, anger, confusion—but most prevalent of all was the sense of utter disbelief.

 _This was Levy's idea?_ Her best friend wanted to start _pimping her out_ to the guild? Lucy grit her teeth. Reaching up, she ripped down the piece of paper, crumpling it in her fist.

"Mira, what the hell is this?" She demanded, thrusting the request out toward the takeover mage as she marched back to the bar.

The older woman gulped audibly, glancing at the floor like she wished it would swallow her whole. "I told you, I didn't do it."

"Yes, it's pretty obvious that Levy did. What I want to know is _why."_ The blonde huffed, too taken aback to moderate her tone.

"Because I think you deserve to find someone who makes you happy." The soft alto voice carried throughout the guildhall.

Lucy jumped at the sound, turning to find Levy almost in front of her. Where she'd popped in from, the young woman had no idea, but Jet and Droy stood on either side of the script mage like a pair of royal guards. They both wore protective expressions as they peered down at the tiny bookworm sandwiched between them.

"Levy McGarden, you've gone too far this time! What the hell are you doing, advertising me for a date? Don't you know how embarrassing that is?" Lucy's voice shook and she could feel a tightness around her eyelids. She did _not_ want to start crying in front of everyone, but having her best friend go behind her back like this _hurt._

Sensing the oncoming waterworks, Levy waved her hands before her in placation.

"Hey now Lu-chan, don't panic. This is going to be awesome. Trust me," Levy begged, her amber eyes growing huge.

"No, Levy. _No,"_ Lucy said firmly, eyes darting around the room furtively to see whether they were drawing attention to themselves. They were. But Lucy needed to say her piece.

"This is so _humiliating!_ You make me sound desperate! Plus, who knows what weirdos will read this thing? Did you even think about _that?_ I am not some prize mare to be poked and prodded by strange men! If I wanted that sort of treatment, I could just go home to my father. He's been making noises about fixing me up with someone," Lucy paused and made air quotes, " _appropriate..._ but even he wouldn't dare to just set me up on random blind dates!"

At least she hoped he wouldn't. Her father tended to do what he felt best, then expected her to fall in line. Lucy had a sour taste in her mouth as she brushed her bangs from eyes. Maybe that's why this mission request hit her so hard. Fairy Tail was supposed to be her safe haven, but right now it felt like anything but.

From her periphery, she saw Levy opening her mouth to speak, but the blonde wasn't in the mood to keep arguing, so she held up a hand to stave off her best friend.

"Lev-chan, I know you mean well, but this 'mission' is staying down." Lucy crumpled up the paper further, damp from the sweat on her palms.

Levy flushed but her voice stayed calm. "That wouldn't help, I'm afraid."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy snapped, her brow furrowing. Mira logged all the missions, right? If this stupid _job_ had been filled, Mira would've just told her already and it wouldn't still be on the request board.

"Look at the board again, Lu."

Lucy' swiveled back to the board, easily finding her picture underscored by the words: **"Mission: Date with Lucy Heartfilia…"**

She blinked twice, glancing down at the paper still balled up in her fist. She backed into a table with a thud, not even registering who was sitting there.

She blinked again.

"What the actual _fuck_ is going on?" Lucy hissed, bolting to the board to rip down the new piece of parchment. Instantly, another appeared in a different spot.

Loud murmurs crescendoed and faded throughout the guildhall.

"Maybe we should talk about this outside," Levy suggested, noting the speculative looks several members of the guild were giving them.

Lucy raised an eyebrow, ready to explode at her best friend, but managed to keep a lid on her temper by the thinnest of margins. She didn't want to cause more of a scene than they already had. She could feel the eyes of her guildmates on them, hemming them in like fog.

There were too many gossips here.

"Yes, let's go outside," the blonde spit out through clenched teeth, her nerves fraying like a loose thread. "You can keep your guard dogs here, though."

"Did she just call us guard dogs?" Droy asked incredulously. His partner in crime nodded, not seeming intimidated at the slightest.

"Yeah, she did. Just so you know though, I can run so fast, you wouldn't even be able to _see me_ if I decide I want to be part of this conversation." Jet preened, shoulders thrown back casually.

Lucy felt redness climbing up her chest and face. "You _dare_ try to eavesdrop, and I'll have a whole lot of things I can tell Levy about the two of _you_." She planted her hands on her hips, her warning ringing clear in the space between them.

Droy and Jet exchanged alarmed glances, no longer as confident as they appeared moments before. It wasn't a secret to anyone...except maybe Levy, that they were both in love with the solid script mage. However, they hadn't meant for her to find out about their undying devotion today…from her currently fuming blonde best friend.

In the state Lucy was in right now, she would likely botch the explanation ...quite probably on purpose. The duo just needed to find the right time to talk to Levy...to let her choose between the two of them. Now was _not_ that time.

The two men exchanged looks and nodded.

"I promise by Mavis that neither one of us will follow you," Jet vowed, his right hand raised while Droy bobbed his head in agreement. Lucy gave a low satisfied grunt.

Levy stared suspiciously at her teammates.

"What things should I know about my team, Lu-chan?" she asked. Lucy flapped her hand in dismissal.

"Forget that Levy, right now you have a whole lot of explaining to do about _this,"_ the blonde smoothed out the mission with her picture on it and waved it in Levy's face. "You can trust your team and you can trust me. If there's things to sort out between the three of you, all of that can be figured out later."

Levy looked between her teammates, but couldn't sense any deception coming from them. They just looked nervous. _Really_ nervous. In sharp contrast, Lucy looked like a geyser about to explode, and she kept fingering her Aquarius key.

That was never a good sign. Aquarius definitely was the most volatile of Lucy's celestial spirits. The script wizard didn't want to deal with two frustrated, powerful women.

One was more than enough.

Levy frowned at Jet and Droy, but conceded to her best friend. "I guess you're right. I _do_ owe you an explanation."

"Great, let's find someplace quiet to talk." With one last glance at the whispering patrons of the guildhall, the celestial wizard stomped out to the street, leaving her best friend far behind. Levy stumbled after her, almost tripping as she struggled to catch up. The quick pace forced her to take two steps for every one of Lucy's.

The blonde picked an arbitrary direction and marched furiously for several minutes. Crowds of people stepped out of Lucy's way, parting like waves. Silence eddied behind her.

She couldn't even look at Levy. Not right away. Only the knowledge that the script wizard would never, _ever_ deliberately hurt her kept her from turning into a hot mess.

Well, more of one anyway.

After several minutes, Lucy found a park bench. She sat down heavily, crossing her legs as she waited for Levy to sit next to her.

"Explain!" Her voice snapped like her whip the second Levy perched down beside her.

The bookworm was prepared as always, meeting her best friend's gaze steadily before speaking gently.

"Lulu...I know you've been hung up on Gray. I'm not saying he's not a great guy, but you've been waiting for him to make a move for months now and he _hasn't._ It's been tearing you up inside and now that Juvia is crushing on him, it just complicates things."

Lucy swallowed, not quite meeting her friend's eyes.

"I can figure it out." Her voice short and clipped, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Levy raised a speculative eyebrow, canting her head to the side.

Lucy flared, eyes darkening to amber honey. "I _can_!"

In spite of her bravado, Lucy knew she hadn't done much problem solving as of late.

Levy seemed to sense her hesitation and pressed the advantage, leaning forward as she did so.

"But this can help! You'll get to met a few new guys, all wizards like yourself, which could be a lot of fun! Go on dates with some of them—I have faith in my magic—I can promise you any mage you date _will_ be cute!" Levy promised, "And look, maybe Gray _is_ the guy for you...I have no idea, but at least if you stop with the tunnel-vision, you can see what your options are."

Lucy fiddled with invisible lint on her lap, chewing the inside of her cheek as she mulled that over.

Maybe Levy _was_ right, she had been focusing _a lot_ on Gray. So far, the ice mage had shown very little return interest. A few heated looks, a couple words that could be construed as flirtatious _maybe,_ and he winked at her once on Mt. Hakobe.

That was it.

She'd been at Fairy Tail for months and that's literally all she had. Every glance Gray had given her, _every_ slight smirk aimed in her direction, she could cram them all up in a cup and still have room for tea.

Hardly cause to start picking out the wedding china.

If Gray had any romantic feelings for her, then their relationship was moving at a glacial pace.

She'd be old and saggy by the time he mustered up the courage to ask her out.

 _ **If**_ _he mustered up the courage._

She hadn't forgotten Juvia all crazy-glued to his arm after Mt. Hakobe. Stuck to his skin like leech. _A tall, gorgeous blue leech...but still._

Maybe that's why Gray had let the rain woman touch him like that…

She nibbled at her bottom lip, seeing the image of the noirette walking happily alongside of the water mage to the train station.

She waited for that familiar clenching in her gut, that pang of frustration she normally felt at the thought of rejection. Yet to her bewilderment, none came. Instead, a flash of pink flared in her mind's eye. Everything that happened between her and Natsu at her apartment from the week before came flooding back.

Lucy had the sudden image of Natsu slinging his arm around her shoulders, his heat seeping into her skin. The way he had looked at her after their first team mission when he had leaned in so close…

She could still smell his spicy sweet breath, even now.

She felt her heart stumble at the feral look in his eyes when he had leaned in, so close she could see the sparks of his fire magic flickering behind that deep sea of jade.

Why had it felt like he wanted to kiss her?

Why had it felt like...for the briefest of moments, she had wanted him to?

 _I have got to stop doing this!_

If Natsu ever found out she was having these thoughts, he'd surely think she was even weirder than he already did. Besides, there was probably some unwritten guild rule about crushing on your partner.

 _Crushing on Natsu?_ She shook her head. Something deep inside her stomach tried to uncoil, but she locked it down. She wasn't supposed to be thinking of her partner like this. It wasn't right. She already had a crush, and it wasn't on _him_.

Right?

Happy would tease her mercilessly until the end of time, for one thing. She could already hear his singsong voice: _'you liikkkke him!'_

She fought the urge to slap her cheeks – she had to get out of this weird headspace. _Had to_. It was doing her no good at all. Her lips downturned in a frown. She could taste ash in her mouth.

Maybe it couldn't hurt to go out with a few other wizards. Get out of this lunatic loop she seemed trapped in.

Clear her mind.

At least with a fellow wizard, they would have their magic to talk about, right? Maybe it would help her shake loose from her weird crushes on her guildmates and she could find someone who actually liked her back.

She couldn't say she loved the idea, but she was starting to see why Levy was trying to get her to broaden her horizons.

She wrinkled her nose.

"It can't hurt to try it, right?" Levy ventured, moving in for the kill like a little blue shark. Lucy groaned at her expression.

 _Only Levy could talk me into this._

"But you're not just going to set me up with any perverts, right? Do I get a say in this?"

Levy faltered a bit, picking at the hem of her dress. "Um, kind of. You wouldn't know who they are until you go on a date, though."

"What?" Lucy balked. _Nope, nope, nope! Mayday - abort, abort!_

"I have to go on blind dates? No thanks! I love my guild mates at Fairy Tail, but I won't date just anyone!"

"You don't have to! Plus, this isn't limited to Fairy Tail! I sent the mission request to all the guilds!" Levy rushed in, ready to do damage control.

Lucy felt her eyebrow twitch up. She didn't know men from other guilds! At least with Fairy Tail, she knew most of the wizards by now, at least by names and faces.

"You want to peddle me out to _all_ the guilds?" Lucy asked severely, her eyes tight and her voice low.

Levy gave a frightened squeak at her friend's murderous expression. "Um, not all the guilds. Not the dark ones." She offered, her voice lilting higher at the end, almost as if in question.

Like that made it any better.

"Wow. Thanks a lot. ' _Not the dark wizards'?_ Lucy mimicked. "I'm your _best_ _friend!_ Your standards in whom I date seem remarkably low!"

Her hysteria began to creep back up. Lucy knew she was panicking. Logically, she knew that Levy wouldn't actually set her up with a creep, but she couldn't help it. She was far— _far_ —out of her comfort zone, and she had been blindsided by the one person she thought would know better.

"Lu, I can explain, it's really sim– …" Levy cut off abruptly, leaping off the bench. Startled, Lucy twisted around to see what had captured the blunette's interest.

 _Not much._

It was only Gajeel Redfox walking toward them, a paper bag of groceries tucked under one of his arms.

"Gajeel, can you come over here for a minute?" Levy called, skipping away to approach the tall man, Lucy seething after her.

 _Where the hell is she going?_

* * *

The iron dragon slayer hadn't realized the little shrimp was so close. He'd been distracted while buying vanilla frosting and tangerines, his new favourite snack. Pantherlily would look at him in askance whenever he dipped orange segments into a can of frosting and popped them into his mouth, but Gajeel was an expert at ignoring people – even his best friend.

 _Especially_ his best friend.

He'd been ignoring Lily _a lot_ lately.

Now seeing Levy in her orange dress made him want to chuck the paper bag away. He had come from a bakery that used real vanilla bean and butter in their icing but it wasn't going to curb his craving now, that much was certain. Not when the real thing was standing right in front of him.

Part of him wanted to keep on walking and pretend he didn't hear or see the bookworm. She was short. He could say she wasn't obvious at low altitude and get away with it. There was a slyness to Levy's features he wasn't sure he wanted any part of.

But he was already moving toward her like a hungry fish after a baited worm on a hook. Or in his case, _shrimp._

 _Pathetic._

"What's up?" His tone its usual charming mixture of impatience and grumpiness.

"Read this for me, would you?" Levy stood on her tiptoes and handed him the crumpled sheet.

"Levy, are you crazy? I don't want to..mrreff!" Lucy's mouth was covered by her best friend's hand.

"Solid script, silence!" Levy announced and waved a hand over the blonde's head. Lucy suddenly found herself unable to speak.

 _What the fuck? Levy!_ She did _not_ want to date Gajeel Redfox! Lucy started jumping up and down, shaking her head frantically, a few flaxen strands falling into her vision.

Gajeel was torn between annoyance at being sucked in to…whatever this was. Some weird-ass girl fight, and not the good kind where they start wrestling in Jello and tearing each other's clothes off.

He burst out laughing.

 _Levy just used magic to shut up her best friend?_

He liked this girl more and more all the time.

The slayer could smell Lucy was furious, but the scent coming off Levy was...confidence. Like she knew something no one else did.

He had known Lucy was weird but it appeared the little shrimp was ready to give the little bunny a run for her money.

He unfolded the piece of parchment and read the request, garnet eyes narrowing in disbelief. Lucy tugged on his arm, eyes desperate as she shook her head so hard her ponytail slapped her face rhythmically.

'No!' She clearly mouthed over and over.

"This is the mission?" he asked, shrugging Lucy off his arm for a second. Levy nodded an affirmative.

"Not interested," he said dismissively, handing the paper back to the bookworm.

Lucy stilled her frantic movements. _Thank Mavis!_ She gave Gajeel a bright thumbs up.

The script mage wasn't going to be deterred quite that easily. "Why not?"

Lucy's eyes went wide.

 _Wait, did Levy like Gajeel?_

She knew Levy was assertive, but did she really think Gajeel would confess he liked her in the middle of the street? That was a new level of boldness, even for the petite blunette.

Levy was looking at the iron dragon slayer like he was a piece of a not-especially-complex puzzle made for toddlers, not like a some guy she had interest in.

But then again, Lucy had never seen her best friend like a guy before, so maybe this could be Levy's way of reciprocating Gajeel's obvious crush? It seemed weird to her, but she couldn't voice her thoughts because her thrice-damned _best friend_ had hexed her with script magic!

 _Why do I have to be silent for all this?_ She glared at Levy and pointed to her mouth, opening and closing it repeatedly, miming trying to talk. She had _a lot_ she wanted to say.

Levy had the brass balls to hold up one finger in a _be-right-with-you_ gesture, her focus entirely on Gajeel.

The iron slayer snorted. "Because the mission is totally not worth the reward."

 _Jackass!_

Okay, it was a cheesy mission, but true love wasn't a good enough reward? Lucy bristled. _I'm not interested in you either, Iron Ass!_

Why couldn't she be screaming this? _Ugh!_ She was so mad at Levy!

"Why not?" Levy spoke like a professor in a lecture hall quizzing a student.

Lucy knew that look. The bookworm used it when she was faltering on a infamous McGarden pop quiz.

"Too much time, too dangerous," Gajeel said instantly and Levy beamed at him like she wanted to pat him on the head like a good dragon.

 _Going out with her was_ _ **dangerous**_ _? She'd show him!_

"–going to kick your ass!" Her voice came back and a her leg shot out in a Lucy-kick at the same moment. A kick that Gajeel easily avoided, stepping casually to the right.

"Why're ya trying to kick me?" he growled, the sun glinting off his metallic piercings.

"I don't want to go out with you either, but I wouldn't act like such a creep about it right in front of you!" Lucy screamed.

"What are you talking about?" Gajeel avoided a swift uppercut. Bunny girl was fast, but no real competition for him.

"Lucy, Gajeel can't read the request," Levy intercepted calmly, stepping between the blonde and the slayer.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy roared, her cheeks ruddy with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"I _just_ read it! I might not be as smart as you, but I can _read_ , ya know!" the iron slayer spat out.

"I just watched him reading it!" The blonde countered, sparing a glance at the iron-freak beside her. She had never thought the two of them would be arguing together against Levy.

The blunette shook her head, a gleam of delight polishing up her cider eyes, but her voice remained serious. "No, that's not the case at all. It's scrollwork magic. You can read the request because it's about you, but only a man who is interested in actually dating you can see the real request. Otherwise, it just looks like a very dangerous mission for very little pay in the Silent Glaciers."

It took a moment for the two of them to decipher what Levy was saying.

"So...Gajeel doesn't want to date me?" Lucy asked. She didn't _think_ he did, but he _was_ kind of a pervert who looked at her cleavage all the time.

The slayer crossed his arms in front of his chest. "No, I don't want to date you, bunny."

Levy let some pride colour her tone. "It's some of my best magic. Not only is the magic embedded in such a way that only someone interested in you can read the mission, but the interest _must be mutual_."

"Huh?" Lucy grunted brilliantly.

"It means you have to like the guy back," Gajeel explained succinctly. Both girls stared up at him in surprise.

"What? I ain't that dumb!"

" _Aren't_ that dumb," Levy corrected absentmindedly. "You're exactly right, Gajeel. The mission request can only be read by a guy who you would like back...subconsciously or overtly."

Lucy sat back down on the bench with a thump, the wooden grain a solid anchor beneath her curling fingers. This shit was getting too weird.

Gajeel thought the same thing. He suddenly was very glad his best friend didn't have opposable thumbs the vast majority of the time. This had to be the strangest way to set up a date that he'd ever heard of!

Gajeel took a careful sniff of Levy's vanilla and tangerine scent...just enough to sustain him. He wasn't nosing around her scent to check if she was gaining interest in him.

Of course not.

But the shrimp's total focus was on Lucy. For all intents and purposes, he was rendered invisible. Lesson over. Class dismissed. Hand across the chalkboard _—_ _wipe._

It's not like he _wanted_ to hang around anyway. He had frosting he didn't want spoiling.

In the weak, late-autumn sunshine.

On a crisp, breezy day that had his iron studs almost frozen to the touch.

"Shrimp, if you're finished needing me as your guinea pig, I'm gonna take off now." He muttered. He couldn't care less who the blonde dated.

"Thank you for your help, Gajeel," Levy swerved her liquid caramel eyes up at him and instantly the day felt a whole lot warmer.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. The collar of his shirt suddenly felt too tight. He resisted the urge to tug at it, his fingers flexing in his leather gloves out of sight. "Yeah, sure...whatever."

He inhaled Levy's scent once more. He'd been surprised by her. Gajeel never would have imagined that she could cook up a scheme like this. This petite girl with the sweet face and a fiendishly clever mind.

 _Sinful and angelic._ He liked that about her.

"Best of luck, bunny girl. You're going to need it," he said cryptically.

Lucy didn't seem to hear him. The two girls stared warily at each other.

"See ya," he added again.

Neither girl gave him the least bit of attention – they were eyeing each other, tense and measuring. Acting like two cowboys who were suddenly going to start dueling with pistols at ten paces. His function rendered to the sidelines of the guy who yelled 'draw!'

 _If that._ More like a spectator.

He waited another beat. No change.

 _Fuck it, I'm going._ He clopped away, irritated as hell.

Neither wizard noticed him leave. Levy's eyes pleading with Lucy to understand.

"LuLu, the reason you can't know who you're dating is because the magic is based on things you find attractive in a man. If you knew who the setup was, you might develop some preconceived notions about the match. _Good or bad,"_ Levy stressed. _"_ This way, if you're surprised, you might actually give each guy a chance."

"And how do you know what I find attractive in a man?" Lucy shot back, then winced. She had spent enough sleepovers with Levy, rifling through Sorcerer Weekly magazines and talking about her perfect guy for the past seven years.

If anyone would know her taste in men, it was Levy.

The funny thing was, now that she thought about it, Levy had been _awfully_ quiet during those conversations. She might have made general remarks on cuteness, but she didn't obsess the way Lucy did.

Her shoulders sagged slightly, some of the tension leaving her.

"Okay, Lev, I'll go on these dates. On one condition," Lucy said firmly.

Levy let out a huge sigh of relief, enveloping her in a hug. "Anything," she breathed, "You name it, Lu."

Lucy let the words drop from her lips like weighted gold coins.

"You make your own mission and do this with me."

* * *

 **Oh ho ho! Levy isn't the only devious one in Fairy Tail! This chapter was super fun to write, but as always, it absolutely needed Satyrykal's touch to smooth out the rough edges. Thank you, Satyrykal! She writes Boiling Point and The Edge, and they are glorious. Please check her out!**

* * *

 _ **A/N –**_ _ **Thank you to my reviewers who tell me my words are pretty! XD**_

 _ **Thanks to**_ – _**MasterGildarts**_ _(the master!),_ _ **stranger1999**_ _(who I know...uh huh, I DO!),_ _ **Lodemai04**_ _(hugs),_ _ **TheJSmooth**_ _(sidling up to you!)_ _ **MissVarta**_ _(*me doffing hat* 'Miss'),_ _ **noseinabook145**_ _(my friend!),_ _ **Kgvision**_ _(I probably need Kg vision, my eyesight sucks_ _–_ _XD),_ _ **Terra of Life**_ _(waving at you!),_ _ **Slash2104**_ _(even if you signed in as Guest…I know you :),_ _ **Satyrykal**_ _(cheers!),_ _ **Bakers28**_ _(cooking up the love, thank you again for your support!),_ _ **they call me Bridge**_ _(because that's your name? Hehehe, thanks so much, girl!),_ _ **Raquenzel**_ _(hello!),_ _ **JAKEDSNAKE**_ _(where's_ _my_ _roti? Kind of selfish, just saying ;),_ _ **valerioux**_ _(shots? We can drink shots!),_ _ **RedFantasies**_ _(tons of love!),_ _ **Ryu of Konoha**_ _(thanks for the feedback and PMs!),_ _ **ligerscool**_ _(you would definitely have a drink with me...you're ligers r cool - hehehe.)_ _ **ShanaHollows**_ _(Canadian girls unite!),_ _ **Graciewashere33**_ _(and I always look for you!),_ _ **Professor of Gallifrey**_ _(are you a Doctor?),_ _ **Catnoir**_ _(losing it a bit, my friends are_ _huge_ _Miraculous Ladybug fans!),_ _ **KitsuneLover05**_ _(the world needs more lovers!),_ _ **AzmariaMinohi**_ _(*bows to you*),_ _ **Star**_ _(hugs!),_ _ **Guest (**_ _if you don't sign in, I can't stalk you with PMs...you can see the bind I'm in_ _–_ _hehehe)._ _ **monitorchick**_ _(thank you for your kind words!),_ _ **Luna Child of Transformation x2**_ _(so happy to see you!),_ _ **unicorn of fire (I like fire dragons, but unicorn of fire sounds hella cool!),**_ _and_ _ **RollingWithCodineandASwisha**_ _(you sound like my kind of people!)_ _ **:D**_

 _ **Shout out to**_ _ **Daisy73**_ _ **because I killed myself laughing at her review from last time! "Just picturing this whole things playing out like a cheesy 80's matchmaking game show. 'Bachelor #1 enjoys ice skating, frappes and nude beaches! While Bachelor #2 is into fire chicken, fisticuffs and hot dates near the campfire'." Thank you for this!**_


	17. Chapter 17 - Song of the Fairies

**Hello, my wonderful readers! Just a s** **mall reminder, Gajeel and Levy went on a picnic together way back in chapter 11. You don't have to go back to that chapter; I just refer to it very briefly here. I just know when I read FF and they refer to something that happened months ago (in writing time), I go 'huh? When was that?' I thought I'd save you that annoyance!**

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 _ **Thank you to my dearest friend, Satyrykal for editing this chapter (and saying it's her new favourite - YAH!) She's the best person in the world. Everyone should be so lucky to have such a great person in their lives. She writes Boiling Point and The Edge, both of which are fantastic Nalu stories, so check her out!**_

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 **Chapter Seventeen: Song of the Fairies**

"You make your own mission and do this with me," Lucy repeated.

There was a beat of silence.

Levy looked as though Laki had run up and hit her in the back of the head with a two-by-four. Her jaw went slack and her eyes forgot how to blink.

The poleaxed expression on the blunette's face almost made up for the fact that Levy had used solid script magic to silence her. _Almost._

"You want me to start dating?" She squawked, her expression becoming more owlish by the second. She licked at her lips, lashes fluttering anxiously as she peered over at the other girl.

"Sure, Levy. If it's supposed to be fun for me, then it will be fun for you, too. _Right?_ " The blonde answered smoothly, her arms crossed as she leaned her weight to her right leg. She was curious to see which way Levy would jump. If the blunette wasn't willing to put herself on the line and go on dates, then Lucy could hardly be expected to go along with this.

Levy was trapped and she knew it. She straightened her spine and lifted her face up, appearing taller than her pixie stature would normally allow. "You're right, Lu. I've never gone on a date before, but this gives me a chance to put myself out there."

Lucy raised one slender eyebrow. At least her best friend was ready to put her money where her mouth was.

She threw back her shoulders, clapping her hands together cheerfully before crooning, "Okay, if we're doing this together, then I don't feel so bad. You'll make sure your own mission is sent to _all_ the other guilds, right?" She paused. "Except for the dark ones!" She amended brightly like she was offering a treat.

The blunette's pallor turned to chalk and her stubborn chin sagged down once more, looking less and less thrilled with the bargain. Lucy fought back a chuckle, pressing her lips into a line. She found it amusing that people always think they know best for _you_ , but give them a taste of their own medicine; it suddenly became a bitter pill to swallow.

"Something lodged in your throat?" Lucy couldn't help rubbing a little salt in the wound...just a little. In all the years she'd known her best friend, she'd never seen her quite so _squirmy._

It didn't last long. Levy shook her head and brushed her hair back, looking her best friend square in the eye.

"Nope. Not at all."

Lucy's merry expression froze slightly, nose wrinkling.

"It doesn't bother you to go out on blind dates?" the blonde probed doggedly. That was the part that was bothering _her_. At least if she had some forewarning about the guys, she might be more enthusiastic about this.

Levy's throat bobbed as she swallowed but her tone was steady. "The magic is very specific. It has to be a mutual attraction, remember? It's one of my best spells and it will not fail you— _us._ " She corrected. "The reason the request keeps appearing on the board is because the mission is like an unfulfilled contract right now. Since you haven't gone on any dates, it will keep appearing until you do."

The blonde chewed the inside of her cheek. "So...I just have to go on _one_ date?"

That...actually didn't sound _too_ bad. How horrible could it be? Lucy recalled her date with that jerk—whose name she had forgotten—the one who tried to rip her celestial keys off her skirt when she'd first arrived at Fairy Tail months ago. She shuddered. A fellow mage would definitely have more respect than that.

Levy was shaking her head—marine curls brushing against her jaw, dispelling Lucy's small ember of hope of getting this over with quickly.

"I can't say for sure how many men will read the mission and meet your dating criteria, Lu. It could be one…it might be a few. It'll be the same when I put up my own picture up on the board. I'm only one half of the contract, same as you. The mission stays up until the contract's complete."

"Complete?" The script wizard had lost her again.

"You either find true love or you lose total interest in dating." The blunette elucidated, wry amusement twinkling in her eye despite agreeing to the same circumstances.

"I think I'm losing interest right now…" Lucy said half-heartedly, although the options seemed a little extreme. "So my options are: true love or crazy cat lady?"

Levy smiled, canting her head to look at her warmly, "I wouldn't put it like that. People lose interest in dating for a myriad of reasons. Just give me a few days and I'll have my own request up."

"A few _days?"_

The script mage narrowed her cedar eyes. "Well...yeah. Most wizards don't cast spells on themselves, you know. I can't just bibbiddi-bobbidi-boo up this sort of magic!"

Lucy relented on that, scrunching her nose in defeat. She knew how carefully Levy needed to research _everything_. If she said she needed time, it was the truth.

" _Fine._ But I'm not going on any dates until you've got a date, too." She punctuated her words with a pointed finger.

Levy gave a sweet smile and Lucy was reminded yet again why she loved this nosy little upstart girl. Her best friend was focused. Fearless. A fighter.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Lulu. We're in this together!"

* * *

 _ **Four days later…**_

"Why do you have to _date?"_ Natsu demanded, a baffled expression on his face—eyebrows arched and lips downturned. He was lounging on her couch, watching her flit across her living room as she tidied up—a duster in one hand as she rearranged the knick-knacks on her dresser for the third time.

"I'm 18 years old! I'm in the prime of my life. Why not meet new people?" Lucy said defensively, covering up for the fact she wasn't sure _why_ she agreed to this harebrained scheme of Levy's in the first place.

Each day that passed as pixie-sized mage did her own research was more nerve-racking than the last. The blonde was so tense she could barely sleep, wrinkles forming under her cedar irises.

She kept trying to think of a way to gracefully bow out, but she was a woman of her word. Levy was going through a lot of effort to make this work and they'd made a pact. She had to make an effort...

… Even if having an overly inquisitive Natsu in her living room was making her question the whole thing.

Her gaze settled on the fire mage and stayed. He was wearing a purple, one-sleeved shirt that showed off one muscular arm and his crimson Fairy Tail guild mark. The top was tight—fitting like a second skin, the fabric highlighting his broad shoulders.

When he wore his usual black-and-gold vest, he didn't even have a shirt on underneath, but it was baggy, sometimes not showing much of anything. Her line of sight dipped lower, following his neck down to the sliver of toast-and-honey skin peeking out from the vee of his collar, knowing what lay just beneath. He had an amazing chest...

 _For Mavis' sake, stop looking at him!_

Lucy dropped to her knees, pulling out a messy pile of old Sorcerer Weekly magazines from underneath her coffee table before stacking them neatly, Mirajane's face smiling up at her from way too many of the covers.

She flipped the volumes over to stack them face down, too flustered at the moment to handle Mira's discerning gaze. Even if the barmaid hadn't been the one to make the dating mission, all jobs went through her or Makarov. The silver-haired beauty had been more compliant at helping Levy than she had initially let on.

She wasn't mad at Mira for it, but she was still embarrassed that the whole guild was gossiping non-stop about her and Levy going through with their unconventional 'missions.' Just thinking of it made her skin crawl, gooseflesh blooming over her skin. She'd been avoiding Fairy Tail like the plague for days.

She had successful managed to avoid her teammates until today. In fact, this was the first time she'd seen Natsu since the whole debacle happened. While her and Mira were away in Margaret Town, Erza had dragged Natsu and Gray on a mission to Crocus. They had only just gotten back themselves.

She had just started wiping her floor that morning when she'd heard her window creak open. When she'd turned towards the sound, she wasn't surprised to find a familiar figure climbing through.

Natsu had wanted to drop by her apartment with Happy to say hello. She hadn't seen him in so long… _too long._ The floodgates opened instantly. She'd abandoned the mop in favour of wringing her hands together as she explained what he'd missed in the past several days.

Natsu had listened, bewildered as she spilled about Levy's idea. Lucy was desperate he hear it from her—before Cana or someone else at the guild mentioned it.

 _Which would've happened in about 1.6 seconds if he'd gone to Fairy Tail first._

She had forced Levy to take down the request the same day it had gone up. Lucy had argued that until Levy was ready to put her own mission up on the board, the blonde was towelling off and staying bone-dry _out_ of the dating pool.

To her great relief, the script mage had readily agreed, promising that the flyer wouldn't be sent to _any_ of the guilds until Levy had hers ready (not even the dark ones).

Maybe it hadn't been much of a victory to delay the inevitable, but at least on the rare, brief occasions she had been inside the guild, she hadn't seen her picture on the request board, smiling mockingly down at her with a promised reward of true love.

Now with Natsu Dragneel in her apartment, she found herself idly hoping that the mission might just stay down. Permanently.

A vain hope, she knew—one she was trying her very best to hide from her fire dragon partner. It wouldn't do for him to know how nervous she truly was—she was a strong independent woman damn it! She could handle this!

After all, Natsu hadn't mentioned anything about leaning into her after Mt. Haboke—acting like nothing at all had happened between the two of them that night.

That was good, right? She kept telling herself it was, but she felt a pang of what felt suspiciously like disappointment that he wasn't willing to bring it up.

He wrinkled his nose at her, scratching at his knee. She let her gaze drag over him again as she passed by to fluff up her cushions. He was wearing new grey pants. The outfit was more coordinated than his usual gear. She could see herself wearing something similar.

"Yeah, but _blind_ dates?" He stressed, his jade eyes darkening to pine as he stared at her.

She sighed, cracking her neck. In the hour that he had been here, she had tried to explain over and over again that she trusted Levy, but she knew she wasn't wholly convincing. Natsu kept offering to find a way to get her out of this. It was sweet. The concern he had for her.

Happy on the other hand...

"Lucy probably has a better chance if the guy's blind," the blue exceed chirped from his foster-father's lap. "I mean, no one's going to ask her out if they see what she looks like. This might be her only chance to find _loooove!"_

She chucked a Sorcerer Weekly at the cat. Natsu tossed out a fingerling of flame before it even got close to his little buddy, the pages incinerating to a curling crisp that became grey ash as they floated down to the floor.

"You guys are cleaning that up," She muttered tersely, nodding her head to the small pile of soot on her hardwood. She glared at her four-legged teammate, rolling her wrists and struggling with the urge to launch another projectile in his direction.

"Besides Happy, the request doesn't mean the _guy's_ going to be blind!" She added as an afterthought.

"Oh. Well, you're screwed then," the feline chortled, as if her being single was inevitable. He curled in on himself, twisting to his back as he looked back up at her from an upside down position—wide eyes mischievous.

Lucy recalled her conversation with Levy where she'd asked if her options for dating were either true love or crazy cat lady.

If she _did_ become a crazy cat lady, she was _not_ getting an exceed, that was for damn sure. She would get nice, normal, non-talking pets.

"I've been on tons of dates and they all knew what I looked like when they asked me out!" She seethed. Okay, a _ton_ might be an exaggeration, but still! They _had_ happened. She wasn't making that part up. She shifted from the living room to get the broom and dustpan from her hallway closet.

"But no second dates, right?" The little blue fur ball asked from his new spot on the couch beside Natsu, his tone full of mirth.

"No, I haven't gone on a second date..." she murmured, distracted by bumping the closet door shut with her elbow. "But— _hey!"_ Her cheeks turning red as she realized what the cat was implying. "I have plenty of sex appeal! What are you trying to say, fish breath?"

She rounded the corner to see Happy's tail swishing—delight crackling beneath his lackadaisical attitude.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing!" His whiskers trembling in barely suppressed glee, both paws covering his mouth as he snickered at her.

Even the _cat_ was giving her flack for this.

Lucy leaned the broom against the couch only for it to immediately topple over, clattering to the ground. She didn't care, the fight leaving her. Her fuming expression melted dejectedly as she sank into the armchair next to her two guests, bending in half so her head was almost touching her knees. She ran both hands through her silken locks in agitation, yanking hard at the roots.

"Oh _gawds!_ What am I doing? This is hopeless," she moaned into her thighs, her breaths leaving her chest in shuddering exhales.

Natsu furrowed his brow, watching her in confusion. "Are you... _licking_ your legs?"

Her head snapped back up at that, eyes horror stricken as she glared at him.

"No, I'm not licking my legs, you pervert! I'm hyperventilating!" She jumped out of the chair, bumping against her end table and knocking a picture frame over. She hurriedly straightened it. The blonde crossed the living room to her bookshelf.

"Could've fooled me," Natsu said flatly, fingering his scarf as he watched her flounce about the room.

"I'm _nervous_ , okay? Can we please stop talking about the date? Or _dates?_ I have no idea what I'm getting into and it's freaking me out." Lucy grabbed some books off the shelves, a puff of dust wafting up. She definitely needed to clean this.

Natsu studied her from behind, watching her swaying hips as she haphazardly piled the stacks of novels on the floor. He glanced around the room.

The broom and dustpan were still lying on the ground. The vacuum Lucy had dragged out earlier was plugged in but hadn't been used. She'd brought out a watering can for her half-dead fern in its oversized planter, but from his vantage point it was clear the soil was still dry. When he craned his neck to peek into her bedroom, the mop was still sitting in the bucket of murky water and a half-folded basket of laundry rested on her unmade bed. She kept starting tasks and not finishing them.

 _Such a weirdo._

He glanced over to her once more, taking in the errant strand of golden hair that had escaped from her hair tie before he stood.

"Okay, so what _do_ you wanna talk about?" He picked up the abandoned broom and started sweeping. Happy slunk over as well, holding the dustpan for him. The slayer grinned his thanks at his furry best friend.

Lucy blew up a huff of air, making her bangs flutter. "I don't know, Natsu. You pick the topic." She turned back to unstacking the shelf.

Natsu mulled it over, lifting the end of the couch absentmindedly to sweep underneath it. The motion was effortless, as if the piece weighed nothing. She tried not to dwell on that restrained strength. Instead she focused on how he was doing a better job of cleaning the floor than she ever did.

He released the sofa with one hand, humming under his breath as he thought, then snapped his tapered fingers. "Oh, I know! You said you didn't go to school until you were eleven, right? What's up with that?"

She glanced up dubiously, his sage eyes snagging hers. "This coming from a guy who had most of his schooling from a _dragon?"_

"Yeah, but not everyone can be awesome like me." He preened, puffing out his chest as the muscles below his shirt strained against the fabric.

Lucy laughed, turning away to hide the red she suspected was dusting her cheeks. "I suppose that's true."

He flashed a toothy grin—the type that made her heart stumble—his canines on full display. Her breathing became heavy, coming out in pants. Obviously an unfortunate side effect from the frantic cleaning.

 _Obviously._

"So...how did you end up at Mermaid Heel?" His voice was softer now, her pulse reacting oddly to the tenor of his voice.

She plopped on the ground, sitting cross-legged as she sorted the books alphabetically to avoid looking at him.

"I...convinced my father that I needed to go to a guild for proper training," she muttered almost under her breath. It was the most cursory version of the truth she could manage. She paused on one leather-bound tomb, thumbing through the pages.

Natsu picked up on her reluctance.

"Oh? How did you convince him?"

She let out a long-suffering sigh. She supposed she might as well spill the beans; there was no point in hiding it. Lucy rolled her shoulders, turning to face him. Natsu went stock-still with the vacuum in his hands...unusual for the hyper man.

After a moment of hesitation, she said, "I asked Cancer to sneak into my father's room one night and do his hair. When he woke up the next morning, he started screaming bloody murder. I…I…" she stuttered a bit, " I... _lied_ to him and said it m-m-must've been an a-accident."

Natsu raised a brow, disbelief coating his voice. "What?"

"Yeah, Lucy...you're all red!" Happy chimed in with dark enthralled eyes. The exceed was using his tail as a feather duster, swishing it over her end table.

Which was _super_ unhygienic and he was leaving little blue hairs everywhere, but at least he was trying to help. She would clean it properly later so she didn't hurt his feelings.

"I—It wasn't an accident, but I made him think that it was. I told him that I didn't have proper control of my spirits…" she trailed off, thinking she _still_ wasn't always in control of her magic, but pushed the thought aside, "But it worked. The haircut convinced him I needed to go to a real guild for training. He sent me to Mermaid Heel a few days later."

"What did Cancer do to your dad's hair?" Natsu asked, curiosity lacing his words.

"Um...it was a mohawk?" She said like it was a question, the image of her dad storming into her bedroom with his hair gelled into the punk spikes clear in her mind. "And it was pink. Bright pink. Cancer even added a pink moustache."

Natsu snorted, catching her contrite gaze. She smiled back and then they were both roaring with laughter.

"It _is_ the best colour," Natsu said with authority, a small smirk on his face as he tugged at his own rosy locks.

Lucy giggled at her partner, rubbing her thumb over the pink Fairy Tail guild mark on the back of her hand.

"It really is!"

The partners grinned at each other from across the room, an accord striking between them. Lucy felt her heart do a double take as she looked into his shining emerald eyes.

"Why are you two just staring at each other?" Happy asked, the confusion evident in his face as his glance darted between the two, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Oh, no reason!" Natsu hastily clicked on the vacuum. The loud rumble ended any possible further conversation as he attacked the area rug with vigour...

...But Lucy could've sworn before he turned away that he was blushing.

She went back to the bookshelf, a small smile still playing on her face as they finished cleaning her apartment together.

* * *

Gajeel sat at a table in the guildhall, minding his own business, drinking a beer, and munching on a plate of plates (Mira was always good to him), when the incessant gossips around him caught his interest. He had just returned from a mission, his travel-worn leathers still dusty from the road as he sat back, tuning into the conversation

"Apparently both Lucy and Levy are doing it," Macao commented, eyes straying to the request board.

"I don't know why those two babes need to be advertising for dates," Wakaba replied. He sipped his own pint of ale, the amber liquid swishing in the old tankard

Gajeel felt his ears prick up. _Levy? Advertising for dates?_ What had he missed? He craned his own neck to the mission board, but couldn't see Levy's picture. Hell, he couldn't even see the bogus job that masked Lucy's dating mission. If he remembered correctly, it was some request from the Silent Glaciers, covering up the real one that he couldn't read, even when the shrimp had shoved it in his face.

"Me either. I guess they made a pact they would both start going out with guys? Apparently, Levy hasn't ever been on a date, and Lucy hasn't had a good track record with men. I hear they both want to try their luck with wizards," Macao said with authority, running a hand through his black hair.

 _Wizards? I'm a wizard._ And a kick-ass iron-dragon slaying one at that. He eyed the board again. Nab was in the way of a small piece of it, hemming and hawing over a mission.

Gajeel stalked up to the request board, elbowing the procrastinating loiterer out of the way, sniffing deeply to see if he could smell a hint of Levy's magic on any of the jobs.

Nothing.

He looked over at Nab who was still clutching a piece of paper.

Gajeel growled, ripping the parchment right from the animal-possession wizard's hands.

"Hey!" Nab protested weakly. He maybe would've possibly _potentially_ considered taking that job!

Gajeel ignored him, inhaling the parchment. No residual trace of magic lingered on it.

"Here," the noirette muttered, thrusting the page back into Nab's hands. It wasn't Levy's dating mission. He was certain of it. "You should take the job, Nab."

The darker-skinned man glanced down at the paper.

"Yeah, but if I take this, I might miss out on a better one…" he muttered, pinning it back on the board, his eyes flitting to the sea of other missions.

Gajeel rolled his eyes, the crimson glinting sharply in the low light of the guildhall. Nab was hopeless. Always nattering on about a 'special mission only he could do.'

It was all nonsense.

Gajeel figured any mission that paid the bills was the right mission for him. Luckily, Pantherlily agreed. That's why he had the best damn exceed in the guild. He made a mental note to pick up some kiwis on his way home for his cat.

His musings were cut short by the barflies still prattling on about Lucy and Levy.

"Hmm...I'm sure it wouldn't take long for them to find dates. Those girls are some _fine_ wizards," Wakaba remarked, puffing out a few smoke rings.

Gajeel knew he wasn't just referring to magic. He normally didn't mind the older men leering and jeering, but this was different. He cracked his knuckles. But then a pair of far-worse voices drifted toward the iron slayer, making him wince. Gajeel was a musician. He knew when something sounded horrible.

"How are we going to decide who goes first?" Droy was asking Jet as they sauntered into the guildhall and took a table near the door.

"How about we race for it?" Jet said half-jokingly as he signalled to Mira for their usual pitcher of beer.

"Haha, very funny. That's like saying we should see who can grow the biggest plant in a five minutes," Droy scoffed.

"Racing is a legit _skill._ No one cares how fast a plant grows," Jet countered, tipping his ludicrous Cat-In-The-Hat hat in his partner's direction.

Droy's mouth formed a tight seam. "Are you knocking my magic?"

"Don't get your _planties_ in a twist, Droy."

The two best friends narrowed their eyes at each other. Suddenly, vines started shooting out toward Jet. Faster than a blink, the speed mage became a blur as he avoided them, but he accidentally knocked into Cana's beer barrel. The liquid sloshed onto the card mage's blue bikini top, drenching her in fine pale ale.

Slowly, Cana's head tilted up, the hard look in her eyes arresting them in place. She cracked her knuckles as she exhaled through her nostrils.

Now the brunette was _in it to win it._ With a flick of her wrist, her cards flew out but the one intended for Jet hit Bisca by accident, knocking the gun requip mage to the floor.

That was enough to start a full-scale brawl among the entire guild.

Gajeel was first to join in. Jet was fast, but his dragon slayer senses could easily pinpoint his scent, preemptively knowing his movements. He let his arm turn to iron and clotheslined the speed mage right across the throat. He followed that up with a solid fist to Jet's ugly chin.

Whirling on the ball of one foot on the slick, beer-soaked stone floor, he landed a roundhouse kick directly to Droy's ribs, knocking the wind right out of the plant wizard. The iron slayer grinned—he loved nothing better than a good fight.

Droy—the total pussy—started to _crawl_ away. Gajeel grabbed him by the ankle and threw him against the wall. The sharp crack and accompanying yelp of Droy's pain was sweet, sweet music to his pitch-perfect ears.

The free-for-all rumble was just starting to get entertaining when Erza strolled into Fairy Tail. She froze at the sight—drinking in the mayhem— her eyes going white and pupil-less with rage as she stormed forward.

Gajeel was having the time of his life pummelling Jet in the lumpy face; but somehow Erza caught his arm and twisted it back, forcing him to let go of the speed wizard.

He flipped backward, using the guild wall like a bouncy castle to align his footing. He dropped back down to the floor with the balance of a gold-medal gymnast.

He was half a second too late.

Everyone in the guild had already gone quietly back to their respective tables. Or rather, The Titania tossed them all into _some_ chairs...not even close to the right ones, but who was going to argue with her?

No one. Not if they cherished unbroken bones.

The rest of them made the best of it, Mira fluttering around gaily to refill orders since most of the booze and food now decorated the floor, walls and even the ceiling.

Max offered to sweep the floors, sashaying about the room with an ebony broom handle in his hands and an odd glint of happiness in his eyes.

Jet's left eye was swelling up from where Gajeel had punched him, turning a gratifying purple, while his jaw was red and puffy. Droy was wincing and kept one arm wrapped around his chest, which the dragon slayer thought was pretty wimpy. He had deliberately held back and could smell some bruising, but he hadn't even cracked any ribs.

 _The plant mage is a hothouse pansy._ He chuckled under his breath at his own joke; half-wishing Lily was there to hear it, knowing his cat would agree wholeheartedly with him.

Jet and Droy started talking again, rounding back to their earlier conversation.

Which Gajeel just happened to overhear... Hey, he couldn't help all the gifts he had!

"Look, we can both ask Levy for a date when her request goes up. If you want to go first, that's fine," Jet said absentmindedly, as he picked bits of chicken and pasta off the furry hat in his lap.

"That's magnanimous—so sure you that you're going to win her heart?" Droy raised an eyebrow.

Jet shrugged, glancing up at his best friend, his voice sincere, "If she doesn't want me, I'd rather she date you."

"Same." Droy concurred, taking the pitcher of ale that Mira offered, pouring Jet his drink first before taking one for himself.

 _Well, isn't this just the sweetest display of bromance?_ Gajeel really _was_ going to throw up. Or start kicking ass at full strength. Neither of these twerps would be able to date Levy if they were holed up with Porlyusica. The pink-haired healer would be _very_ busy if he could just get Erza out of the way for five minutes.

The redhead caught his eye, and gods damn her, she hefted up a sword in warning, seeming to know his thoughts.

He studied the requip wizard, debating. She arched one brow.

 _Not worth it._ He broke eye contact first, and Erza's satisfied grunt reached his ears.

No matter. There were other ways to circumvent Team Pussy Gear.

He growled to Mira, "Cancel my drink order. I ain't thirsty."

He stalked out of the guildhall, at a quicker clip than anyone but a fellow dragon slayer could've possibly matched, intent on finding the little bookworm before her teammates did.

It didn't take long to track her scent to the library. She was sitting at a long rectangular table; books piled around her. She had an intent look on her face, wearing oversized red glasses and flipping through pages far too rapidly for it to be a natural reading speed.

"Hey Levy." He greeted gruffly.

"Shush!" Another patron warned from the book stacks. Gajeel whirled around, taking in the stranger. He was a thin guy with hair the colour of wheat, sticking up in all directions.

The iron slayer gave his best glower and the man jammed the book he had been pursuing back onto the shelf. It didn't take more than a minute for the skinny guy to figure out that there was some other place he ought to be— _now._

The guy ran for the door like hellfire was chasing him.

Gajeel's garnet eyes tracked him—a predator stalking prey...not yet moving, but watching intently—the frightened man spared a glance over his shoulder to see if he was being pursued and Gajeel barked out a warning growl, just to make sure the guy didn't come back too soon.

Maybe ever.

"Was that necessary?" Levy asked distractedly, still reading.

Gajeel cocked an ear at the sound of the stickman sobbing with relief from outside the library doors that 'the black-haired, red-eyed demon' wasn't following him.

 _Gods, civilians are fun._

"Ya talking about that guy? He'll be fine." _In about six months,_ he didn't deem to add. That was just a rough estimate based on the coward's scent and if Gajeel didn't just happen to run into him again. Which—depending on his mood in the next few months—could very well happen.

Levy rolled her eyes at him, but let the subject drop.

He blinked twice at the lack of response, reaching for her forehead to check for a fever almost immediately, stopping himself in the nick of time. He slicked back his own shaggy hair in a smooth motion.

The slayer took a closer look at the little blunette. Her hair was wilder than normal, barely restrained by her yellow headband. Her eyes were sunken and tired. He took a good sniff of her scent.

"When's the last time you ate? Or drank anything?" he demanded.

Levy flapped an unconcerned hand. "Uh...a few hours ago, maybe?"

Several hours, if his nose and eyes weren't deceiving him. She was functioning on very little sleep, too.

"Time for a break, Shrimp." He crossed his arms over his chest, letting her know in no uncertain terms he wasn't leaving without her.

"But...I have a lot to do." She nibbled her bottom lip. There were a ton of books to get through. Having never given the matter of dating serious thought before, she was nervous. Her type of magic could be quite literal at times. She would need to make sure she cast the spell _just right…_

And maybe modify Lucy's dating mission a bit before it went back up on the board. Not that she would tell her best friend that, of course. Funny how much safeguarding mattered so much more when she had her own skin in the game. She heaved a sigh.

The iron slayer touched her shoulder gently, the cotton crinkling under his touch. She looked into his crimson eyes.

"There's a ramen place about a block from here. Time to stretch your sea legs, Shrimp."

"Fine, just give me a second." She conceded, finishing the book in her hands in a few heartbeats. She reverently placed it on top of a heaving stack, removing her gale-force reading glasses. She jotted down a few quick notes before letting the quill drop and standing up, stretching her back out with a crack.

The iron dragon slayer didn't smile, but he felt smug as hell that this was the second time he and Levy would be eating together. He breathed in her vanilla cake batter and citrus scent again, revelling in it. She wasn't giving off pheromones, but she didn't seem unhappy to be near him either. That was good enough for him.

She pulled on a black leather jacket he hadn't seen before. He personally thought it could use a few iron studs to make it a bit more badass...but it was cute nonetheless. She gathered up her papers and organized them into a neat stack, stuffing them into the same khaki backpack she'd been lugging around when they'd had their picnic together.

"I can leave the books here for now. The librarian knows me," she said in a hushed tone.

"Of course he does," he teased, following her lead and speaking quietly. She met his eyes and gave a small _what-can-I-say_ shrug. He led the way out of the doors.

The day had turned cloudy; the sky a uniform grey with a sharp wind that carried the scent of rain. Gajeel slowed his normally long-legged stride so that Levy wouldn't have to rush to keep pace with him. When they got to the ramen shop, he held the door open for her. Her toffee eyes widened in surprise, she craned her neck to look at him through her lashes.

"Thank you," she said softly, her jacket brushing against him as she passed.

Her smile caught him right beneath the ribs like a suckerpunch. He pulled awkwardly at his black coat collar.

"Yeah," he grunted, rubbing the sweaty palm that wasn't holding the door on his pant leg. He mentally kicked himself. Why couldn't he just make a move the way he had always done in the past with women? Talking definitely wasn't his forte.

The noodle shop was small, with only a few seats at the counter. They were the only customers. Levy slid into a stool and he hunkered down beside her. He wasn't hungry after all the plates he had eaten at the guild, but he didn't want her to eat alone. He ordered a plain miso ramen while she ordered the shoyu special with pickled pork-belly from the shop owner, a short man with curly grey hair and skin the colour of wet sand.

"I got it," Gajeel pulled out some money from his pocket, leafing through the jewel.

"No, Gajeel. I'll buy my own lunch." Levy said, shaking her head.

He opened his mouth to protest, but he could tell she wasn't going to back down on this. Shrugging, he took the change from his own meal and let her pay for herself.

Once they were digging into their noodles, Levy's demeanour visibly perked up. She took a long swig of her bottled water, the cool liquid a balm for her parched throat. Gajeel watched as she licked her lips, swiping away the droplets lingering there.

"Thanks. I needed this," she said over her bowl, chopsticks held haphazardly as she smiled up at him.

"Yeah, you did. You work too hard, Shrimp." He muttered, his voice wavering with something just short of friendly.

Levy raised a suspicious brow. "Oh, have the gossips at Fairy Tail gotten to you, too? I suppose you know why I'm doing some research."

Gajeel saw no point in lying to her. "Yeah, I heard ya wanna start dating."

Levy snorted, rolling her tawny eyes. "I don't know if I _want_ to start dating. I promised Lucy that I'd do it with her. She was pretty mad at me for putting her picture up on the request board and advertising her for blind dates without even consulting her."

"Doubt she liked you silencing her with your magic, either," he chortled.

Levy's grin lit up her entire face. "I guess that was pretty mean. I suppose I owe you an apology, too…dragging you into all that."

"Apology accepted," he responded instantly, "We're both members of Fairy Tail and I don't want there to be any…" he struggled to remember the proper word she had said when they had picnicked together. " _Ass-iso-sity_ between us."

She smile went wide and her scent became extra delicious. "Animosity? Is that what you're trying to say?"

He felt his ears redden. "Yeah."

The script mage laid a gentle hand on his forearm and her expression became tender. His heart stumbled awkwardly; it felt like her light touch was singeing his skin.

She shook her head, her voice as gentle as a summer breeze. "Don't be embarrassed. In fact, _ass-iso-sity_ sounds like a perfect word. Animosity means hostile, like we're enemies. But _ass-iso-sity_ sounds like a fancy way of calling someone a pompous asshole."

He gnawed on the inside of his cheek, but he was never going to find a better opening than this one.

"Speaking of pompous assholes, that's why I came to see ya. The guys on your team can't wait for ya to get your dating thing up on the request board." He watched her like a hawk for her reaction.

"Jet and Droy?"

"Yeah." _Who else?_ On second thought, he remembered the slew of guys eager to dance with her at Erza's party and figured there could be more competition than he'd initially thought.

"Oh." She got quiet. She didn't seem very surprised, either. Gajeel tasted her scent, but it was like she was emotionally folding in onto herself, closed off into some private nook that he couldn't reach.

"Well?" He snapped, running out of patience.

"Pardon?" She steepled five fingers over her heart, her pupils blown wide with shock, clearly taken aback.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm thinking..." she murmured, drumming her fingers on the counter and drifting along on her own thoughts for a moment. Her dark eyes got shrewd. "Wait. This is why you came to see me at the library? To tell me that Jet and Droy want to ask me out?"

"Yeah," he grunted, stuffing half a soft-boiled egg in his face. She tilted her head.

"Why?"

Gajeel rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, swallowing hard. He had gone searching for her on sheer instinct, what did it matter _why_ he had come?

"Guess I thought ya would appreciate the head's up," he snarled, tangling a hand in his own messy hair.

"Hmm...this is interesting." She stressed the word _interesting_ and he knew she had her hackles up. He was familiar enough with _that_ side of her to know when she was getting heated.

"It seems odd that every time Jet and Droy are around, you're approaching me about something they've done, like dance with me at the party. Now you're here warning me they want to date me?"

Gajeel banged his fist on the counter, causing the dishes to jump and clack. The owner gave them a fierce glare. The slayer was oblivious to it, but Levy gave an apologetic smile.

"It's a fair warning! Seems kinda smarmy to me that your team members are harbouring crushes on ya, for _Mavis_ knows how long, but hey, you do what you want."

Her blood fired and her neck snapped up. "Yes, a guy pretending to be your friend when he's harbouring an ulterior motive is the worst, isn't it? Like maybe showing up at the library on the pretext of concern for your wellbeing, but only wanting to hear about who you're planning to date!" She glared at him, adding, "As if it were any of his business."

His jaw bulged at the accusation and a long growl rumbled through his chest.

The shop proprietor appeared in front of them. "I think it's time for you to get out." He directed most of his statement at Gajeel, but since they were eating together, Levy got a pointed stare, too. The man cleared their half-finished bowls, turning his back to them and banging pots into the sink.

Gajeel bristled but stood to leave. Levy followed suit and they exited, walking in brooding silence for a few minutes before the blunette spoke.

"You're jealous," she said slowly, unwavering conviction like a thread of steel in her tone.

Gajeel stopped walking, gobsmacked. She stared right up at him, bronze eyes dark and serious.

"Pfft, why would I be jealous over a little shrimp like you?" He bluffed, feeling his stomach clench like it did when he was about to board a train—the same queasy apprehension.

Levy ignored his initial outburst, leaning close to him, her vanilla and orange scent wafting up his nostrils.

He felt the most insane urge to drop to his knees before her and wrap his arms around her waist. By the most frayed of threads, he held himself rigid as she pressed close enough that her leather jacket brushed against his chest. She craned her neck up to look directly at him.

"It's okay if you like me, lots of boys do," she confided, her face sparkling in pixie mischief.

"So I've noticed," he grumbled, not able to keep the irritation out of his voice.

She blinked up at him. Twice. Three times.

Realization filtered through her. "You admit it? You... _like_ me?"

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, staring down at her.

"Don't push me, Shrimp."

Levy gave a derisive sniff, rolling her eyes. "Oh, don't make me laugh. _Push you?_ I'm positive it would take a railway locomotive to push _you,_ Redfox. You're scared of your own shadow."

"Did you just call _me_ a coward?"

Levy's eyes went bright with challenge. "I sure did! You disappeared after our fight at your own party, didn't you? You thought I hadn't noticed?"

Her words tripped him up. He didn't think she _had_ noticed. Or if she'd noticed, she wouldn't have remembered for long. He'd heard how wasted she'd gotten that night.

After Freed had approached them at the mansion, Gajeel had gone home after speaking briefly with the rune wizard. _Fled_ , was closer to the truth. Scurried off to lick his wounds in private.

She jabbed a finger in his rib cage, her nail blunt but she put some force behind it. " _And_ you vanished after we had lunch at the park!"

Her eyes narrowed as she flapped a hand up at him. "Now run, Gajeel! Run like you always do!"

He took a threatening step forward. She held her ground and didn't budge an inch. Another step, her hands splayed on her hips, the burnt copper in her eyes blazing. A third step and there was scarcely a handbreadth between them. Her hands balled up into tight little fists.

She _would not move._

He looked for a chink in her armour, but she was feisty as hell and all bent out of shape.

"Damn, Levy." His voice was low and gravelly, his saffron eyes flickering with uncertainty.

To the best of her recollection, it was the first time he'd used her given name. A hot sizzle went through her body and her scent flared for the briefest instant.

He panicked.

"Ya know what? Maybe you should date a bunch of guys," he said, the words spilling out sloppily, recklessly. "I heard your teammates back at the guildhall. Doubt they would mind sharing ya."

Levy flushed scarlet, her anger coming off in waves.

"What. Did. You. _Just._ Say?" She ground out each word carefully.

Gajeel was too far gone to take anything back. He was trapped by his own emotions—a feral, cornered animal.

"Sure, ya can have 'em both. Maybe a ménage à troi— _augh_!" Gajeel fell to his knees, clutching his windpipe. Levy had somehow managed to punch him in the throat and he hadn't even noticed her moving.

 _How the hell did the Shrimp get high enough to reach his neck?_

She was standing above him, her face a mottled red, making her azure locks seem even brighter, mouth pressed together in a line of sour distaste.

"Where the hell do you get off? Do you think you can keep insulting me, Gajeel Redfox?" She demanded hotly.

He tried to talk, but no sound was coming out.

"kk..aa..pphh," he wheezed.

"That's the second time you've implied I'm some sort of slut. I've never been on a date. Hell, I've never even _kissed_ a guy! So you can keep your dirty little rat-infested thoughts to yourself!" She looked as though she wanted to slap him across the face for good measure.

The sky opened up and rain started to come down in fat drops that splattered on the sidewalk like paintballs. Levy acted like she didn't notice.

"I let it slide the first time because we're guild mates. But if you dare insult me one more time, I swear by _Mavis_ I will never talk to you again for the rest of my life!" She spun, marching away a few paces before she turned around sharply on her heel, stalking back up to him. He still couldn't breathe properly.

When she came back, she hit him with such a hurt expression that he would have said anything to make it right. Would have _done_ anything.

His heart a skipping stone—three skimming jumps and then it was sinking down—deep, deep. The rock settled in his gut, heavy and hard.

"You know what, Redfox? You're a real piece of work. You act like you're this total badass, but I've never seen a guy more gutless in the face of a woman in my entire life." She wasn't shouting. Her voice tinny and hollow. A shadowed wisp compared to how she normally sounded.

Despite calling her _Shrimp,_ the iron dragon slayer didn't think of Levy as small. She was _short,_ yes. But her personality was larger than life—her smile wide, her laugh loud. There was something grand and majestic about her...how she pulled people in.

Now it was like all that strength he marvelled at, _craved_ , was sapped. Just a tiny woman remained. The fact that something had pared her down, that _he_ had reduced her, cut her to the quick...

In his past life, he had done a lot of things he wasn't proud of. Things that still pulled him from sleep in the middle of the night drenched in cold sweat. Nightmares that would never fade, _should_ never fade. He'd accepted them long ago as penance for his sins.

All of that was nothing compared to hurting her.

She stared down at him. Bruised apple eyes. Not yelling, not even angry anymore. Somehow, that made it a thousand times worse. His throat closed in a tightness that had nothing to do with her punching him.

 _I'm sorry._ He tried to tell her, but his voice wasn't working right. _Nothing_ was working right.

But she saw his lips move and smart girl that she was, she easily made out the words. He felt defeated and tired. So very tired of pretending this pixie-like girl wasn't affecting him.

Gajeel knew who he was. Gutter-born. Unwanted and unloved by the foster parents who had taken him in and used him for his strength. They didn't break him.

Metalicana had found him, trained him to become the iron-dragon slayer. The lessons were often painful—physically and mentally pushing all of his senses to the limit until he was literally _crawling_ into bed each night.

It hadn't broken him.

He ghosted over one memory he had, where he had lost everything, the sealed part of himself he would never open. The thing that had caused him to fall in with Phantom Lord and willingly put a dark stain on his soul. Even that hadn't broken him.

Seeing this small perfect girl with rain-soaked hair and silver tears standing in the rain.

It broke him.

He did the one thing he never thought he would do, hadn't known he was even capable of until that moment.

He let down the iron walls around his heart. Let them down so she could really see _him._

She started for an instant but then gave one last protracted stare with those bruised eyes, turning away again.

Her whisper-sad voice easily reached his ears. "If you wanted to know if I would go on a date with you, you should've just asked me. I might've said yes."

He caught her scent and held it in until his lungs might burst. Because underneath the layer of melancholy Levy held, he felt something else. Born anew and roiling in his blood, felt only by his dragon slayer senses.

Gajeel sagged over on his side, indifferent to the cold dirty cement pressed up against his cheek, or the rain pinging off the metal studs of his face. His mind filled with only one radiant thought.

 _She likes me._

* * *

 **A/N - "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" is a famous line from Disney's Cinderella and I can't afford copyright permission. I've also spelled it bibbity-bobbity-boo for years and apparently that's wrong. Who knew?**

 **The bonding Nalu moment of Cancer dying Jude's hair pink has been in my Notes since I started this story a year ago. It felt good to finally write it out! I hope you guys liked it!**

 **Lucy's habit of nervous cleaning is actually something I do when I'm stressed. I thought it fit in well here, especially with her 'bunny' persona (even if Gajeel wasn't there to see it).**

 **Please let me know your thoughts on the chapter! I love to hear from you guys!**

* * *

 _ **Thank you so much to my reviewers from last chapter! AzmariaMinochi**_ _(who goes to the library to read FF, so happy you still like me),_ _ **neffateri13**_ _(welcome to the story, I hope you like it!),_ _ **Professor of Gallifrey**_ _(much love)_ _ **, ABT4Life**_ _(thanks for joining the carnival!)_ _ **, ligersrcool**_ _(always cool. Always),_ _ **TheDesperado64**_ _(OMG, you're too sweet, thanks for your lovely review),_ _ **Lana Child of Transformation**_ _(I appreciated you telling about the error last chapter! I LOVE fixing it, so thanks for the head's up!),_ _ **DreamWeaver2121**_ _(I really hope you liked Gajeel this chapter, too!),_ _ **nomsthaluv**_ _(full credit goes to Satyrykal who makes my life so much fun, so it just translates into the story!),_ _ **Star**_ _(maybe Gajeel will be more than a spectator now. Hehehehe. Thanks so much for finding me funny! XD),_ _ **ShanaHollows**_ _(I would put up a magic scroll for you, my sweet friend, if only that were possible!),_ _ **Daisy73**_ _(Ahh, our dearest bookworm is scrambling to modify the requests as we speak before they go up. Totally different when your own skin is on the line!)_ _ **stranger1999**_ _(I hope you enjoyed this one, your predictions last chapter were all correct!),_ _ **They Call Me Bridge x 2!**_ _(I love Gajeel with the oranges and frosting, and Levy as my blue shark. I love that you love them too, so we can fangirl out over our mutual Gajevy love!),_ _ **valerioux**_ _(Levy should always be clever and Lucy pulling her into this seems such a teenage girl thing to do),_ _ **trienniagala**_ _(oh gosh! I'm blushing! Thank you! You're amazing, too!),_ _ **unicorn of fire**_ _(ahhh, you're so sweet! Thanks so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!),_ _ **Kauia**_ _(keeping you interested is my life goal!),_ _ **Guest**_ _(thank you!),_ _ **JAKEDSNAKE**_ _(oh boy, I know I'm going to hear about your prediction forever about the request, aren't I? XD :D I honestly had it plotted out before you said anything!),_ _ **TheJSmooth**_ _(My sweet Levy, I hope things work out for her. XD),_ _ **Slash2104**_ _(the 'mayday mayday, abort abort' was a Satyrykal addition_ — _so obvious why I love and adore her, right? But I'm happy you liked the chapter!), and_ _ **MasterGildarts**_ _(who I am always, always so grateful for sticking with me. I know I did a lot of backstory/set-up but I sincerely hope you're starting to see some payoff!)_

 _ **Special shoutout to**_ _ **noseinabook145**_ _because you will probably be married by the time I update next! I hope your wedding day is spectacular, my friend!_


	18. Ch 18-Protect Yourself To Save Yourself

_Beta: Satyrykal_

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Protect Yourself to Save Yourself**

 _ **Sunday...**_

Lucy had been cleaning with renewed vigor ever since Happy had flown out the window a few minutes earlier, leaving her alone in the bedroom.

He'd insisted that the harsh smell of ammonia and _heavy sexual tension_ were giving him a headache.

He'd cackled as she tried swatting at him, slipping into the open air before she could do any damage.

 _Stupid cat, there was no sexual tension!_

She huffed, blowing a loose strand of gold away from her face as she'd grumbled under her breath. The blue exceed had been spinning tall tales as usual, trying to get a rise out of her.

Still, if she'd begun scrubbing at her floors with triple the energy the job needed, then no one else need ever know.

Once the hardwoods were gleaming, the blonde poured the dirty water from the bucket down the sink, washing her hands afterward – the lemony soap scent drifting up to her nostrils. She exhaled slowly, her lips pulling at the corners.

 _This was so much better._

She sauntered back to her now immaculate living room to find Natsu plopped dead center on her couch. His legs spread out to rest on her coffee table, arms hanging limply on either side of his thighs. As she stared at him, he tilted his head back, eyes half-closed as he found a comfortable position. Snorting, she took the seat beside him and his eyes flickered open.

As she leaned back, her wrist brushed against his.

Lucy crossed her knees, her shifting weight causing her shoulder to press against Natsu's muscular bicep. He neither pulled away nor returned the pressure, but canted his head toward her – his eyes a disarming shade of sage in the waning afternoon light.

"Your place looks great, Luce."

"All thanks to you! Who knew the fearsome fire dragon could be domesticated," she teased, her irises melting into a spiced amber.

Natsu smirked, a tendril of his campfire scent curling around her. "There's a lot you don't know about me."

It seemed like he nudged her then, just a bit, the bare skin of their forearms grazing each other – his natural body heat soaking into her.

She suddenly realized how closely they were sitting together, his thigh firm and warm against her leg. He realized it too…and stayed where he was.

"Oh, really?" She cocked a manicured brow up at him.

His eyes dropped to her mouth, his voice roughening at the edges. "Yeah, for instance, you don't kn—"

He cut off abruptly, leaping off the couch in a smooth motion, a concerned look on his face. She sat there dumbfounded, staring at him, but Natsu grabbed her hand and hauled her up.

"Levy's here. She's been crying," he murmured, nodding towards her entryway. The dragon slayer stalked to the front of her apartment, towing Lucy behind him like a kite caught in the wind as he flung the wooden door open. The surprised blunette was at the threshold, fist upraised to knock.

"You fought with Gajeel." Natsu announced, taking Levy by the elbow to usher her inside before either girl could blink.

"How did you…?" Levy's question faded as she noted the pair's joined hands. Lucy spine stiffened, yanking hers out of the pinkette's grasp. If he noticed, he didn't give any indication.

Instead, Natsu shrugged as he answered. "I could smell your tears and Lug Nuts' scent is all over you." He fanned the air in front of him, face pinching up in distaste.

Levy nodded as if she knew that would be his reply, her red-rimmed eyes swerving toward the blonde. "I was actually hoping to talk to Lucy alone."

A lull fell, the three friends staring awkwardly at each other. Taking initiative, Lucy sucked in a long breath and said, "Natsu already knows you're upset and who caused it. He's my partner, Levs. Whatever you need to say, you can trust the both of us."

The bookworm took in the pair's matching stance, the way her best friend's eyes blazed with determination.

"Alright, but this conversation goes no further than here."

Lucy exchanged a glance with Natsu, but when she nodded in agreement, it was for both of them.

As Levy began, it was like the floodgates had been broken. She recounted the entire story of how Gajeel had accosted her at the library, how he'd cajoled her into going for a meal at the ramen place, and how she'd actually enjoyed it. Then she explained how the mood had shifted, the two of them getting into a fight about Levy starting to date, how the dragon slayer had eventually gotten angry with her...

… and suggested she have a threesome with Jet and Droy.

The subsequent silence was sweltering as the fire slayer and celestial mage processed what Levy had just told them.

Then Lucy lost her _shit._

"He can't be that much of an idiot!"

Natsu snorted, rolling his broad shoulders. "Iron Baller? Of course he is! Hey Levy, want me to put a few dents in his stupid metal ass? I was planning to knock his teeth out next time I saw him anyway, but now I've got a real fire in my belly!"

"You were planning to knock out his teeth _anyway?"_

Natsu nodded so hard his coral spikes flopped forward, sparing a quick glance to his blonde partner. "Sure! Hey Luce, you want in on this? I'll take him down with my fire magic and then you can call that scary mermaid of yours or something."

Lucy punched her fist in her palm, anger simmering red-hot under her skin. "Absolutely! I think I'm strong enough to keep two gates open long enough to _bury_ that asshole, especially if I get Virgo involved."

Levy darted her gaze between the two, her voice steady but shaded with a slight bit of satisfaction. "No need, I already told him off. _After_ I punched him in the throat."

He looked suitably impressed by the small wizard, raising his right hand to—Lucy was certain of it—offer Levy a high-five. Before he could raise his arm too far, she shot him a glare – eyes slicing into him.

 _Now's not the time, Natsu._

His eyebrows disappeared beneath his salmon fringe. _Aw, but Luce..._

 _Not the time!_

" _Mavis help me._ I came for advice from my best friend, not to watch you two flirt." Levy groused, the sound breaking the spell. Lucy whipped her head around to scowl at the smaller girl.

"We're not flirting!" She yelled, hands dropping to her hips as she stood with legs akimbo. Natsu just scratched his head in confusion.

"Whatever, Lu. I'm going home. You can cut the sexual tension in here with a knife."

"You can not!" Lucy wailed.

* * *

 _ **Tuesday...**_

Lucy and Natsu had stormed up one side of Magnolia and down the other, searching for the iron slayer – but alas, it seemed that Gajeel Redfox could not be found.

They'd spent three days scouring through the city – checking his house, the guildhall, and every bar and marketplace within a ten mile radius. Three days of Natsu using his dragon slayer senses and coming up empty-handed.

The worst part was seeing Levy so despondent. The bookworm hadn't left her apartment once in that entire time. Lucy had been bringing over books, groceries, and made cups of tea – pretending all the while not to notice that Levy had put on a pair of mint green pajamas that first day and hadn't changed out of them or bathed ever since.

Lucy was going to _murder_ that stupid prick.

Gajeel Redfox may very well be a member of Fairy Tail, but he had a lot of explaining to do. She was fuming and ready to unleash all of her righteous anger in one fell swoop onto the slayer.

If she could just _find_ him.

Finally, after the third morning of seeing Levy in her crinkly, grubby pajamas with no interest in the toasted bagel that the blonde set in front of her, Lucy went to the one source she'd been hoping to avoid.

Mira.

Lovely, sweet, gossiping Mira who wasn't allowed to know what had transpired between Levy and iron slayer.

That made things difficult. The silver-haired barkeep was inquisitive and devilishly hard to keep a secret from. It was if she could see into your very soul.

Lucy deliberately picked lunchtime to stroll in and ask after Gajeel, knowing that a bunch of hungry wizards would be gathered inside the guild. The barmaid looked surprised that the stellar mage was seeking out the pierced man of all people, but was quick enough to answer.

However, it wasn't the answer the blonde had expected.

 _"Finally,_ I was waiting for you or Levy to show up. Gajeel went on a mission a few days ago, but he gave this to me before he left. It's for Levy." Mira fished inside her apron pocket, to pull out the sealed envelope with Levy's name scrawled across it. She held it out expectantly.

Eyes wide, Lucy lunged for it, her hand practically a blur as she snatched up the parchment.

 _That fucker!_ He hadn't been hiding after all.

Honestly, she should've just started with Mira. That woman knew _everything_.

"Whoa, Lucy...what's got you so jumpy?" Cana asked, pausing to take a long swig of her lager. She cradled the keg in one arm while half her body slumped over the granite bartop. She looked like she hadn't left the guild in days. _Weeks._

Lucy felt her face setting like drying cement. Keeping her voice as bland as possible, she said, "Nothing, Cana. I've just heard a lot of people discussing my dating life lately. You'd think people would have better things to talk about."

Cana gave a razor wire smile and a kindling of sobriety lit her violet eyes. "That's _right_. Little Lucy and Levy dating is the going to be big news in _all_ the guilds." The brunette gaze wandered down to the blonde's cleavage, "I felt those suckers up. Trust me, any guy who gets the real deal is in for a treat."

"How can you say such offensive things and make them sound like a compliment?"

Cana gave a small chuckle and shrugged, turning back to her ale. "What can I say? It's a gift."

Lucy sighed, tucking the paper securely in her pouch beside her celestial keys.

"I'll make sure she gets this, Mira."

The barkeep nodded absentmindedly at her, giving a beatific smile as she hefted a tray of drinks to deliver them to a group of thirsty wizards seated by the far wall.

Not wasting time, Lucy shuffled out the front doors. She had a delivery for her best friend.

* * *

"Aren't you going to open it?" Lucy wheedled when she got back to Levy's apartment. The blonde had been pleasantly surprised to find her best friend ready for the day in her pretty orange dress, smelling freshly showered and sitting primly at her desk. Levy had her gale-force glasses perched on her nose as a tornado of papers and notes surrounded her. She looked like her usual self.

Lucy tried to hide her obvious relief.

Levy took the envelope from Lucy, tucking it securely between the front cover and heavy pages of the almost-finished book in front of her.

"Not now," the script mage said flatly, "I'm just about ready to cast the spell for my dating mission and I don't need any interruptions."

Lucy started, blinking owlishly at the blunette before her. "I thought maybe you'd want to cancel it. You know...after everything you've been through lately."

Levy snorted, peering over her lenses with wise eyes. "Are you saying that because you're concerned for me, or because you don't want to be set up on one yourself?"

 _With anyone other than your pink-haired partner?_ Levy added mentally, regarding her best friend with a speculative glance.

Lucy missed the look completely, exhaling sharply. "No, Levy. I promised I would do this with you, right? I just don't want you to push yourself."

Levy laid one gentle hand over the blonde's. "Actually, I think I would be happy for the distraction."

The celestial mage swallowed, knowing _exactly_ what she meant.

While Lucy vented, raged, and cried when she was angry or stressed, Levy was the exact opposite. She tended to prefer solitude, hiding out and withdrawing – needing space to clear her head. She'd throw herself into work and not utter a word while she processed her emotional state.

Lucy understood. Everyone needed to deal with things in their own way. If Levy wanted to forget about Gajeel Redfox by delving into the dating world, the blonde certainly wasn't going to dissuade her.

"Levy, let me make you a cup of darjeeling and then I'll go so you can finish doing whatever you need to do." She offered.

"Thanks Lu, but I have a fresh mug," Levy shuffled some papers on her desk and sure enough, there was a full mug sitting there – steam rising in curls.

"Okay then, I'll be on my way." She gave her friend a hug from behind, "Love you."

Levy reached up one arm to clasp over the blonde's, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Love you, too."

The celestial mage left her in peace, clicking the apartment door shut behind her.

For a moment, Levy remained absolutely still, ears straining to hear the patter of fading footsteps.

As soon as she was sure she was alone, she pulled out the letter from Gajeel – fingers brushing over the crinkled sheet. She worried her lower lip, debating whether to open it now, to open it after she cast the spell…

...or to just tear it up altogether.

In the end, her curiosity got the better. She slid her nail under the fold, ripping away the seal. The parchment was stark white, the writing on it messy – the ink splotchy. It contained exactly five words.

 _Shrimp, I'm sorry,_ the letter read, _Forgive me._

That was it.

As apology letters go, Levy should've considered it pathetic.

He'd said unspeakable, unthinkable, _ugly_ things. He'd made her cry.

Maybe it _was_ pathetic, but somewhere deep inside, she knew how much the words had cost him.

It wasn't some flowery declaration, but she supposed Gajeel Redfox wasn't the type to wax poetic. Still, her heart was thumping madly in her chest as she glanced at the page, recalling how flummoxed he'd looked when she'd asked him if he liked her.

How he hadn't denied it.

How he'd said her name for the very first time and it'd felt like a bag of concrete had been dropped on her stomach.

She hadn't given thought to him calling her 'Shrimp' prior to this, but she felt she could now see clearly why he did. His face impersonal, his attitude kept everyone at the guild at arm's length. He put up barriers he didn't want breached.

Right?

She recalled his stricken eyes as he'd mouthed his apology on the sidewalk in the rain. The way he had looked at her, _seen_ her – like no one else ever had.

Maybe she was stupid. Maybe she naive. Maybe she was seeing things that _simply weren't there,_ but Levy felt something incubating inside her. Burrowed deep, but _there._ A tiny ember of something that could either be snuffed out completely or gently fanned and nurtured into something more.

The decision was hers.

It took several hours before Levy felt strong enough to cast the spell on the parchment for her own blind dates.

* * *

 _ **Saturday Night...**_

"I can't believe I'm finally doing this," Lucy muttered to herself for the hundredth time. She was dressed only in her undergarments – her silk kimono slipping from her shoulder as she debated over what she should wear to her first blind date. Levy's had been set for later on that evening, and her best friend actually seemed to be looking forward to it.

Despite her earlier reservations, Lucy couldn't help getting caught up in the excitement herself. She was curious to see who she might match with.

Would it be someone from Fairy Tail or some other guild?

All she knew about the outing was that they were meeting at a coffee shop. She wasn't sure if she should dress cute or not.

Scratch that. She was _always_ cute. But how far should she go? She nibbled her bottom lip, debating on ' _lite cute_ ' which included her normal outfit, part of her hair tied up in side ponytail; _'adorable'_ with twin pigtails and thigh-high tights with a mini skirt; or _'smoking hot'_ with her hair down and curled, sporting a little black dress and sky high stilettos.

 _Decisions, decisions._

A sharp rap at her door interrupted her reverie. She cinched her robe tighter around her waist as she went to answer it.

"Erza?" She stared in confusion at the sight of the requip wizard standing there, holding a large white cardboard box in her hands as if it were Lucy's birthday.

She didn't know why the redhead was there. Erza knew she had a date tonight. _Everyone_ in the guild knew she had a date tonight.

Mira was the sole exception to the dating requests. She'd agreed to arrange both her and Levy's blind dates. The matchmaker had been thrilled that the solid script mage recruited her to be part of this – so pleased by the great trust Levy had granted her, it had completely overwhelmed her normally gossipy _tendencies._

The barmaid had arranged both Lucy and Levy's _excursions_ for the same night at two different locations, not uttering a single hint on who these mystery men might be.

Lucy had tried to weasel it out of Mira. She really did.

Only to fail miserably.

Apparently there were quite a few bets going on behind her and her best friend's backs about who the potential suitors were going to be.

Assholes.

The lot of them.

While she was caught up in her woolgathering, Erza pushed past her and into the living room without waiting for an invite.

"Hello, Erza. Lovely to see you," Lucy repeated her name pointedly, giving a half wave.

The redhead pivoted on her heel to face the blonde, shifting the large package to secure it underneath her arm.

"I thought I could assist you in getting ready for this evening's engagement."

"Please don't call it an engagement," Lucy begged, shutting the door behind them. "I'm nervous enough as it is."

"A tryst then?" The older woman arched one eyebrow.

That sounded even worse.

Lucy sighed. She couldn't be bothered to haggle over semantics right now.

"It's sweet of you to come over. You want to help me get ready?" Lucy had already spent an inordinate amount of time on her perfect, barely-there makeup and was planning to ask for Cancer's assistance to do her hair if she decided on something elaborate.

"Precisely. I have bought you the perfect outfit to wear on your date this evening."

"Eeeiii!" The blonde squealed in delight, "Erza, you're a lifesaver! I was just debating that!" Lucy eyed the white parcel gleefully. No friend had ever bought her an outfit before.

Erza gave a wide smile, pleased by her reaction.

"Here you are."

"Thank y— _oomph_!" The thick cardboard package was _heavy._ Lucy suddenly had a terrible thought as she walked over to the couch to open it.

 _Please don't be a wedding dress, please don't be a wedding dress, please don't..._ her mind cut out when she pulled the lid from the box and saw what lay nestled inside the light blue tissue paper.

It wasn't a wedding dress.

It was armour.

Heart Kreuz armour, to be exact.

The Heart Kreuz armour that Erza was wearing right that second, to be even more precise.

"Umm…" Lucy pulled out the steel breastplate with the golden cross over the heart, followed by the waist guard with its three metal platelets. A buff-coloured leather jerkin for underneath the armour and a plain white sleeveless shirt for under _that_ came tumbling out next. Matching shoulder pads, gauntlets and a pleated navy skirt completed the ensemble.

Erza handed her a dark blue bag that the celestial wizard hadn't noticed her carrying. A pair of gleaming black leather knee-high boots were nestled inside.

Throw a red wig on her head in this getup and she and Erza could be twins for Halloween.

Lucy wasn't sure what her exact expression was, but she imagined shock or dismay might be good guesses.

As it turned out, Erza Scarlet was _not_ a good guesser.

"Not to worry," the S-Class wizard said as she sat down on the couch beside the box, her own armour clinking lightly when she crossed her legs, "I had everything custom-made for you. Except for the skirt and the boots, of course. You and I are the same size for those and I had some extras laying around."

Lucy blinked twice. Then twice more, struggling to comprehend what the redhead was saying.

"You expect me to wear armour on a date?"

"I don't expect you to wear just _any_ armour, Lucy. _This_ is Heart Kreuz armour," Her words reverent as she pulled the breastplate on to her own lap. She withdrew a small swatch of fabric from her skirt pocket and rubbed it lovingly over the already gleaming silver metal.

"You expect _me_ to wear armour on a date?" The celestial mage pronounced more clearly.

"What's wrong with wearing armour?" The redhead's voice lowered, darkening with a rumbling threat like thunder.

"Erza, it's a kind offer. I appreciate the gesture...more than you know. No one has ever thought to buy me an... _outfit_ before," she paused, hoping the next words she said were the right ones and she wouldn't provoke The Titania. "This stuff is _you,_ not me."

Erza grunted and the choler left her voice.

"I suppose I may have been a bit overzealous with some of the pieces."

Lucy laid a comforting hand on her friend's forearm. "Thanks for understanding."

The redhead nodded before meeting the stellar mage's eyes – her own widening hopefully.

"I understand about the skirt and boots – even the gauntlets...but will you at least wear the breastplate?"

Lucy's lips twitched.

Of all the pieces, that was the one she least wanted to wear. Her cleavage was far too sexy to be covered up by its stifling neckline.

However, before she could frame a proper refusal, Erza spoke again, brown irises beseeching.

There was a flicker of pain in the redhead's eyes, a look that Lucy had only seen once before – long ago when Lucy had first joined the guild and she, Levy and Erza had gone for brunch together. The atmosphere around them condensed like fog and Lucy felt her spine stiffen, the hairs on the back of her neck raising in concern.

"Please, Lucy. Wear it," Erza begged, "the heart is vulnerable. As a mage and a woman, it's your duty to protect it. I have seen what happens when people don't...it's not a fate I wish for you."

Lucy felt something inside herself soften, her initial surprise at the turn in conversation completely overshadowed by the pleading look on the requip wizard's face.

 _Oh Erza…_

Lucy willingly opened her arms, embracing her friend in a too-tight hug. Here was Erza Scarlet, the Queen of the Fairies and the most feared female wizard in Fairy Tail – trying to protect Lucy's heart.

Her vision blurred and a lump formed in her throat.

She remembered what Erza had told her about when she was a child — there had been a tower, slavers, and a boy named Jellal. Lucy's heart ached for the little girl lost all those years ago.

The redhead drew a deep breath. "I always wonder...if I had the armour on when I was younger, how different could my life have been?"

Pity burned a hot path up Lucy's chest. Tears splashed onto her cheeks and she pulled the older woman in for another rib-crushing embrace. Erza clamped her arms around her, but even though they were physically close, she could feel the redhead's mind was miles away, lost to a thousand memories.

She held her friend, feeling like an interloper, a voyeur trying to peer in on something private she wasn't sure she was meant to see. Erza struggled to compose herself, her jaw tight as she swallowed thickly.

Lucy's voice was hushed – that of a healer asking someone gravely ill if they would like their next-of-kin to be notified. "I'd like to hear about it, if you're willing to tell me the story."

Erza opened her mouth, as if she were about to start talking – _really talking._

For a second, Lucy thought she would.

Then it was like a blackout curtain fell over the redhead's face, blotting out all emotion as the veil settled back in place. Her voice came out in a distant monotone. "Perhaps some other time."

A bolt of disappointment speared through Lucy _–_ a blow so physical that she inadvertently dug her fingernails into Erza's back. But if anyone else understood grief and loss and _pain –_ it was her. Maybe not on to the same scale of devastation as Erza, but she _knew_ how hard it was to untie the tongue, to loosen the tightly lidded jar of emotions that were kept screwed shut – buried deep inside. Trapped.

She knew how if you stayed in the dark long enough, light felt strange and foreign on your skin and the darkness started staring back...

Lucy _knew._ She knew how much trust it took to lay her soul bare.

Unfortunately, forty minutes before you're supposed to go on a date wasn't enough time to delve into such things.

She wanted to skip the whole shabang. Bail on the date and go grab a strawberry cake with Erza and share soft words about the harsh hurts they had both endured.

To tell her that she knew the deepest wounds never bled.

The silence stretched and Lucy opened her mouth to make the offer, but the words wouldn't come out.

She couldn't say it. Literally _could not._

She sat across for the redhead—floundering, trying to open her mouth—but her tongue was a clay brick.

 _Binding magic._

Her date was somehow linked with binding magic. Levy had mentioned that unless she was on death's door, she couldn't cancel. Lucy had thought the comment had been made in jest. The script mage had thrown the stipulation out so casually, that the blonde hadn't thought for one second her best friend might be serious.

Of course she was.

That was just Lucy's luck lately.

Still, she wanted to give Erza _something._

"How about I wear the top and the boots?" She suggested, gasping as Levy's binding magic finally released her. The offer to Erza was both a compromise and an apology.

The redhead's soft brown eyes warmed to toffee. "I think that's an excellent idea."

Lucy pulled out the plain white button-up top. It was thin, sleeveless and would match with almost anything. Ditto the shiny knee-high boots. To complete the outfit, she and Erza decided on a forest green skirt she found in the back of her wardrobe. She pulled on the pieces, readjusting the hemlines before giving a small twirl – raising her caramel eyes expectantly as she glanced back at her friend.

"You look wonderful," Erza assured her. "And the high boots cover up your cankles nicely."

Lucy burst out laughing, taking in the spark of warmth in Erza's dark eyes. She expected this sort of teasing from Happy or Natsu, but hadn't realized Erza had a sense of humour as well.

"I don't have cankles, thank you very much," she replied, her voice full of mirth.

"No, you don't," Erza conceded, lips twitching. "And under my tutelage, you wouldn't have to worry about any developing, either."

Lucy puffed out with pride. She had lasted a whole sixty seconds before Erza knocked her flat on her ass during their most recent morning workout. The requip mage hadn't said anything complimentary about it—and it only had happened the once—but she had been glowing all day because of it.

"Are you looking forward to your date?"

If Lucy were to be honest, she was looking forward to it with all the eagerness of watching Natsu doing a fireball blech after he ate pickled eggs. Instead she said aloud, "Sure. Could be fun."

The older woman pursed her lips like she didn't believe her, but didn't push it further. "You probably should be leaving soon. Punctuality is the politeness of kings, after all."

"You know King Louis the Eighteenth?"

"Levy taught me some history. I had to take that particular test three times," Erza sheepishly admitted, absentmindedly tucking a scarlet lock behind her ear.

"You don't say?"

"Don't tell me. She gives you pop quizzes, too?"

Lucy laughed. _That little sneak!_ "She sure does."

Erza let out a sharp hiss, stretching out her hand to make her gauntlet tinkle...the slight sound seemed sinister to Lucy's ears as the redhead said, "I will be making our workouts a bit more invigorating going forward. I'm certain both you and Levy are up for the challenge."

"Please don't," she begged. Lucy would never survive the fallout in the heavyweight title match of _Brains vs. Brawn._

The requip mage huffed, looking decidedly miffed, but refocused on the blonde.

"I shall consider your request," Erza said, as if she meant the exact opposite. "I'll be going on a solo mission to Hargeon and I'll be gone for several days. I should leave now to go pack my own belongings, I want to set out today."

Lucy had seen Erza's luggage 'staples.' The redhead probably didn't have time to spare if she wanted to get on the road before nightfall.

And neither did she.

"I should go finish up my hair. Thanks for stopping by." Lucy glanced at the box still piled high with armour. "Maybe you can take this back? Get a store credit or something?" She knew Heart Kreuz stuff wasn't cheap.

Erza was shaking her head. "No. I hope you never need it, but if one day you do, I feel better knowing you have it."

Lucy felt her eyes burning at the words. "Erza, I just want you to know, I consider you a great friend. And if you ever want to talk about _anything_ , I would be honoured to listen."

The requip mage grasped both of the blonde's shoulders, squeezing them gently. "The honour would be mine, Lucy. Now you should go meet your date."

"Right." The celestial mage raised her chin up firmly, giving a final wave to Erza before reaching for the proper golden key to call Cancer.

* * *

 _ **Thirty minutes later…**_

Lucy sat by the window in the cozy coffee shop. It was a tiny, out-of-the-way place that she had never heard of before, which boded well for not running into other snoopy guild members. She drummed her fingers against the dark walnut tabletop, letting her eyes absently wander over the various sugary confections in the display case by the register.

He wasn't late, but she'd been hoping he would be early. She _hated_ that she had arrived first. Her father had drilled into her the importance of arriving on time. One of the few lessons he'd taught her that she deemed worthy of carrying forward from her past life to the present.

The cafe door swung open and she felt her chest tighten in anticipation, only to see a dark-haired man and what was obviously his girlfriend enter. The couple went straight to the counter. The girl caught Lucy's stare and laid a proprietary hand on her boyfriend's bicep.

 _Mine,_ that hand said.

Lucy quickly averted her eyes, casting them down to the table once more.

 _I wish I brought a book or something._

Sitting there staring out the window made her look restless and sad, she decided. It was all too obvious she was waiting for a date.

She opened her purse, her fingers brushing against a crinkled envelope. The paper was a heavy cream colour, the texture silky smooth and of the highest quality. She felt the childish urge to stick her tongue out at it. She _did_ crumple the paper up, just a bit more. It was oddly satisfying.

Although her father kept writing to her and she to him, his latest inquiries were surrounding her love life, which she was blatantly pretending not to notice in all her replies. He kept strongly hinting he might know a few 'nice boys' she might be interested in dating.

The very thought of her father setting her up with someone turned her stomach to frog's eggs.

No doubt his idea of potential suitors would all be sons of the board members or even business rivals that Jude was hoping to solidify a merger with.

He had spent the better part of her life ignoring her, now he was suddenly interested in playing matchmaker?

 _No thank you, father._

"That's not the expression I was hoping to find on such a cute girl," a husky voice intoned.

Lucy's startled gaze flew up to find Hibiki Lates smiling down at her, her spine going rigid as she bit the inside of her cheek

Hibiki. The womanizing member of the notoriously perverse Blue Pegasus guild.

Hibiki. Who she had met prior to this on the modeling job with Mira to Margaret Town – when he and his fellow guildmates had held up the photo shoot for _days_ with their incessant flirting and wandering off.

Hibiki Lates. Who she'd kicked in the abdomen (not what she was aiming for, but she'd gone a little high), for asking her to model a pair of turquoise bikini bottoms for him.

 _Just_ the bottoms.

Mira had tried to defuse the situation by saying that couldn't possibly have been what Hibiki meant, only for him and the rest of the Trimens to chime in that it _very much was._ The quartet smoothly insisting that topless beaches were all the rage and how 'European' she would look.

He was damn lucky she miscalculated that kick. If she hadn't, there was virtually no chance he'd be able to sire children one day.

Squinting, she regarded him closely, her hackles still raised as memories of the photo shoot still sat bitterly in the back of her mind.

Hibiki was standing with his weight on one hip, his arms crossed into an 'X', making finger guns pointed to the sky. He tossed back his head like a thoroughbred stallion.

"Are you _posing?"_

He gave her a smirk that had the table of three girls next to her cooing, hearts in their eyes. He threw them a hundred-watt smile.

The women let out delighted squeals, with the middle one swooning like a dying ballerina – dramatically throwing herself across the table, her two friends catching her between them.

"Are you alright?" Hibiki asked, his voice low and intimate as he turned towards them fully, missing how his blonde companion seemed to be grinding her teeth.

The first girl turned beet red and squeaked. The princessy centre one fanned her face, but the third girl met his inquiry with a direct, bold stare – an offer clear in her eyes as she traced the v-neck of her shirt from her throat all the way down to her ample cleavage, letting her two fingers linger at the apex as she studied him.

 _Enough._ Lucy had enough already.

 _"Oh hell_ _no!_ There's no way can you be my date. I'm pretty sure I wasn't _European_ enough for you the first time we met." She stood to leave, yanking her purse off the back of her chair as she shot him a fiery glare that would have made her fiery partner proud.

The Bimbo Brigade could have him.

Hibiki had the decency to blush. His eyes resting solely on her, much to the disgruntlement of the Hostess Twinkies sitting next to them. He scrambled to sit across from her, eyes pleading with her to join him back at their table with his hands raised in placation.

She worked her jaw, eyeing him with mistrust before exhaling through her nose. Reluctantly, she slumped back into her own seat, if only because she wanted to tell Levy her date had lasted more than thirty seconds.

"I know I didn't make the best first impression Lucy, but I am happy to have this opportunity to make it up to you." His voice was like silk sheets.

To Lucy's surprise, he sounded sincere. The archive wizard swiped one hand through his sandy brown hair, the boyish gesture a bit disarming in relation to his generally suave persona.

"When my guild members and I are together, sometimes we can get competitive."

"I know what that's about," Lucy found herself admitting, the image of Natsu and Gray rolling around on the guild floor exchanging blows and insults springing to mind.

"What are your guildmates competitive about?" Hibiki propped his chin on one hand, his obsidian eyes flaring with interest.

Lucy tucked a few strands of hair behind one ear, eyes crinkling at the corners as she considered the question.

" _Mavis knows._ Last time Gray and Natsu were fighting, it was over a promotional fridge magnet."

The corners of Hibiki's mouth quirked up. "Must've been some magnet."

Lucy grinned slightly but then her mouth flatlined. "It wasn't. It was for a snow removal company. Gray's an ice mage and Natsu's a fire mage. _Neither of them will ever need snow removal._ There was a basket of about fifty more, but they both kept insisting that _specific_ one was theirs."

Her shoulders slumped with sadness at the memory. "None of the magnets survived the fallout."

"Hmm, too bad. I collect magnets."

"Guess you'd know all about magnets...seeing as you're a _chick magnet,"_ Lucy dared to tease, rolling her head in the direction of the Tartlet Trio who were perched at the next table, seemingly to just eavesdrop on the date.

Hibiki gave a rich laugh that seemed to reverberate right up her bones as his dark eyes flickered languidly across her face. "Sassy, too. You're incredibly cute, Lucy."

"Uh...thanks." She could feel redness blossoming on her cheeks.

Hibiki stood, brushing his hands over the lapels of his black suit jacket. Lucy noticed how his light blue shirt seemed to highlight his golden skin perfectly.

"I would rather take a pretty girl like you out to dinner rather than just coffee here. What do you say?" He subtly inclined his head toward the salivating fangirls.

Lucy could feel the blush steadily climbing to her hairline, but stood as well.

"That's really not necessary. I'm sure I can manage. I'm not…"

The girls were staring incredulously at her, so she turned her back to them and whispered so that only Hibiki could hear.

"I'm not... _jealous_ or anything."

"I know." He gave a conspirator's wink, "but can you blame me for wanting to keep a beautiful woman like you all to myself?"

She rolled her eyes, the caramel shade catching in the low light and reflecting the gold flecks within her irises.

"Indulge me." He offered her an elbow patiently, an easy smile on his full lips.

After a beat, she took it.

Lucy could feel the vicious, stabbing eyes following her all the way out the door.

She didn't look back.

* * *

 _ **A/N – We have reached this story's 1st year anniversary today! Thank you all for reading, the follows, the favourites, and the reviews! It honestly means the world to me!**_

 _We are about two-thirds into the story now (I'm envisioning about 30 chapters or so). Again, thanks for the patience, the support, the friendships and kind words. You guys are amazing!_

 _All my thanks go to_ _ **Satyrykal**_ _for editing this chapter._ _She edited this while she was on vacation! That's how sweet and wonderful she is!_

 _Our conversation went something like this:_

 _Satyrykal: "I have some time, I can look it over."_

 _Me: "I'd never say no to your edits, but you don't have to (vacation and all). It's probably okay for me to publish."_

 _Note: It was not okay. Not even close._

 _She went above and beyond. I'm so grateful to her – she's just a phenomenal person._

 _ **Satyrykal is writing: Helix, Departure, Once Upon a Dream**_ _and_ _ **Miraculous**_ _(a Nalu/Miraculous Ladybug crossover), and has recently updated_ _ **The Edge.**_ _She has an incredible talent and she writes all these brilliant stories. Definitely go check her out!_

* * *

 _ **Thank you to my wonderful reviewers from last time!**_ _Stranger1999, The J Smooth, Slash2104, valerioux, Firiare, noseinabook145, ShanaHollows, Kgvision, Satyrykal, Master Gildarts, unicorn of fire, Bakers28, Luna Child of Transformation, They Call Me Bridge, Raquenzel, JAKEDSNAKE, Professor of Gallifrey, monitorchick, Beauty Anthony, AzmariaMinochi, ligersrcool, BrokenAngelWings83, Avalanche65, Jcat007, Ben113 (x2!), misssbehavin (welcome back to the fandom!), NaluAlways26, YukiMC, MWilsondet, and Bs. trickets!_


	19. Chapter 19 - Thanks for Dropping By!

_This chapter is dedicated to Slash2104, Prince of Feathers and to JAKEDSNAKE, Lord of Scaly Things (because I refuse to pick favourites). XD_

 _Thank you both for your support and friendship!_

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Thanks for Dropping By!**

Hibiki strolled through the streets of Magnolia, seeming to know exactly where he was going. Lucy didn't question it. He cut through a few alleyways, stopping in front of a nondescript building with flaking ivory paint and a dull copper roof. Patina streaked through the shingles like glistening tears in the late afternoon sunshine.

"Here we are," Hibiki announced, grasping the iron handle of the heavy wooden door. He pulled it open, waving her past him.

"Where are we?" Lucy asked as she slipped by, but doesn't hear his answer. She was assaulted by the most delectable scents – fresh herbs, spices, fresh-baked bread and grilled meats.

"Mmm, this place smells heavenly!" She could feel her mouth filling with saliva. She swallowed thickly. Her stomach let out a small rumble that she _hoped_ Hibiki didn't hear. If he had, he didn't comment on it.

"Hibiki Lates! Come in, come in!" A short man with brown hair, a thick mustache and a clean white apron stretched over his portly stomach hustled toward them. He shook Hibiki's hand.

"Where's your lovely team? Ren? Eve? You must tell Ichiya that he was absolutely right about the lamb, it needed turmeric and some cardamom to add just the perfect flavour." The man swept his glance over Lucy and his grin widened. "Ah, excuse my manners! You've never brought a girl here before." He wagged a finger at Hibiki as if to reprimand him.

Lucy started in surprise at that, but Hibiki spoke smoothly.

"Aakash, this is Lucy Heartfilia. Lucy, this is the owner of one of the best restaurants in Magnolia," Hibiki said, moving out of the way so Aakash could shake her hand, too.

The man leaned in close. He smelled like his kitchen and she had to bit her lip to stop herself from licking him. He smelled _that_ good.

He unclasped his hand first and stepped away before she could embarrass herself, leading them to a quiet table in the back. He whisked a reserved sign off the ivory tablecloth, but not before Lucy noticed.

She sat down, arching a slender brow at her date. "How did you know I would agree to dinner?"

He tossed her an easy grin, dark eyes flashing. "I didn't. Aakash keeps this table reserved at all times for The Trimens. As you may have gathered, Lord Ichiya is a friend of his. When Aakash was first starting out, Senpai Ichiya came in and made a few suggestions on menu items and spices, eventually buying shares in the restaurant. My boss has the most incredible sense of smell."

Lucy winced as she pictured Ichiya. A stout man with pumpkin orange hair and a face that looked as if it had been hewn by ten whacks of an axe against a piece of rotting wood. His overly large nostrils flaring when he had shambled up beside her or Mira during the modelling job in Margaret Town.

She shuddered.

"I'm aware of his... _abilities._ " It was the nicest thing she could think of to say.

Hibiki seemed to take no offense, snapping open his menu and reeling off a list of recommendations that seemed to encompass everything the place had to offer.

"Why don't you order for both of us? You seem to come here often."

"That's a great idea, Lucy. I knew you were cute, I didn't realize how smart you were, too." Hibiki's onyx eyes twinkled at her.

She didn't think a simple thing like letting him choose a few dishes warranted a comment on her intelligence, but she could tell by Hibiki's blithe expression that he doesn't mean anything by it and decided to let it pass.

Aakash was there in the next instant, bringing small bowls of mixed olives, nuts, and dates. He pulled a notepad from his breast pocket alongside a pen. Hibiki ordered a large variety of food with Aakash murmuring his approval over each selection.

"It won't be long for your dinner," Aakash promised before rushing away.

Hibiki launched immediately into asking her several questions about Fairy Tail and her magic. Nothing too personal, but he seemed genuinely interested in her life. After a flurry of answers, the date stalled. Lucy wiped her clammy hands on her skirt and swallowed the rest of the chewy date in her mouth.

"Have you been with The Trimens for a long time? Is Blue Pegasus your first guild? You're an archive mage, right? What does that entail? Is that how you were able to navigate around Magnolia so easily? You can't have come here often," she finished, wincing at how garrulous she sounded.

Hibiki spooned a few olives onto his plate, shrugging as he answered.

"I grew up with Eve and Ren, but we met Master Ichiya later. I was ten when I joined Blue Pegasus and yes, it's my first and only guild. My archive magic allows me to keep track of vast amounts of information, including maps and battle plans. I can coordinate strikes against enemies by using my telepathy, as well."

"Te...telepathy?" She choked out nervously, twisting the red napkin in her hands. "You mean just with your teammates, right?"

 _No, Lucy. I can use telepathy with anyone I choose,_ his mind-voice brushed against her like a purring cat.

"Don't do that!" Lucy was getting seriously creeped out. She already had Loke and Gemini who could read her thoughts. She didn't need anyone else snooping inside her head, _thank-you-very-much_.

 _Especially since she'd been indulging in a few fantasies of late, surrounding her pink-haired partner._

"I didn't mean any offence, beautiful." He held up his empty palms in surrender. "I promise to keep my thoughts to myself. My _hands_ however…" He let his suggestive gaze drag over her figure.

"Oh look, the food's here!" She gasped in relief at the approaching chef. Aakash bought out several sizzling bowls and an array of dips. He deftly put them all on the table alongside a pitcher of water. He poured a tall glass for each of them before disappearing again.

"May I?" Hibiki asked, half-standing with his hands hovering above her empty plate. It took her a second to realize he was offering to fill it with food.

"Um..sure, I guess," Lucy muttered without much enthusiasm, before remembering she was supposed to be charming. She offered Hibiki her brightest smile. She would try hard on this date. She _would._ But she had a sneaking suspicion that Levy's magic was a bust. Yes, Hibiki was cute, but she felt no more attraction to him than she would have if Mira had been sitting across from her.

He gave her a tablespoon of everything, and it _still_ looked like a larger portion than she could finish. He made suggestions on which sauces he felt were the best pairings with the charred meats and which dip he liked with the flatbread. It all looked delicious.

"I can't eat lamb or goat," she told him, spooning those cubes back before setting her plate in front of her. She laid her napkin in her lap and picked up her knife and fork.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh, but the way Aakash cooks them is _sublime._ You really must try some." He lifted the spoonful of lamb again.

"No, _really,"_ she insisted, raising a hand to halt him. "I have celestial spirits, Aries and Capricorn. I just can't look at a piece of lamb without thinking of Aries. It...turns my stomach. I'm sure it's delicious, but I just can't try it. Same goes for the goat. Capricorn means a lot to me."

"Don't you also have a cow celestial spirit?" Hibiki asked, watching her spear a cube of beef and pop it in her mouth.

Lucy closed her eyes, chewing with relish as the herbed-smoky flavour burst onto her tongue. The food was fantastic. When she finished swallowing, she opened her eyes to answer.

"Yes, Taurus is a bull, but he's different. He's such a pervert that I'm sure he'd be encouraging me to eat as much beef as possible. It would probably turn him on, the big creep." She smiled as she thought of her black-and-white-spotted spirit. She had never had associated Taurus with docile cows.

He wasn't the brightest of the golden gate keys, but she felt lucky to have him.

Even if he _was_ a pervert.

"You love them." It wasn't a question. Hibiki was studying her carefully, his expression unfathomable.

"My spirits? Absolutely. They are more than just magical beings I make contracts with. I consider them my friends." She ate a forkful of saffron rice.

'That's...admirable."

She shrugged, not seeing what was so noteworthy about it, but was too hungry to argue. She filled her belly while Hibiki did most of the talking, praising his fellow guild members and talking about Ichiya in such a sweet way that she wondered if maybe she had been a bit too hasty in her judgment.

Then she remembered the little troll trying to sniff her hair and she decided _nope..._ she had definitely made the right call.

When the main courses were finished, Aakash brought out a ramekin of chocolate lava cake and a slice of strawberry cheesecake, placing them in the centre of the table.

"On the house," he declared, his hazel eyes shining with pleasure. "I'm delighted you enjoyed eating here, Lucy. I hope you'll tell your friends to stop by."

"I will." Strawberry cheesecake and spiced meats? Erza and Natsu would love it here.

She picked up her dessert spoon, unsure which cake was supposed to be hers.

"Do you just want to split both of them?"

"Absolutely, gorgeous," Hibiki said, picking up his own spoon.

Lucy wrinkled her nose. She could do without all the superlatives. Did she go overboard with her innate sex appeal? She glanced down at the thin white top and mini-skirt.

Maybe she was just _too cute_ today.

She shrugged it off—being completely adorable was an occupational hazard—and took a bite of the chocolate cake.

From beneath her lashes, she studied Hibiki. The date was winding down and she still couldn't fathom how he had managed to read the dating 'mission' Levy had sent to Blue Pegasus.

 _Why did we match up, Levy?_ She hummed in thought, taking another bite of chocolate cake.

They didn't seem to have a lot in common. Although the date wasn't terrible, she didn't feel any pressing desire to continue it further than this meal.

A tendril of cold air circled around her ankles and she peered toward the door. She wasn't sure _why_ she looked up. Patrons had been coming and going constantly during their meal, without her paying any attention to the slight drafts of the door opening and closing, yet something made her glance up in that instant.

 _Oh Mavis. Not him._

Lucy craned her neck, taking a quick glance at her surroundings to check if there was a convenient backdoor or even a small bay window she could throw herself out of.

 _Casually._

There was nothing, of course.

"Of course," she muttered under her breath.

"Are you alright?" Hibiki asked, putting down his silverware and cocking his head at her.

 _No. Not really. I mean physically she was fine, but—_

"Lucy?" A sonorous voice asked.

Her gaze swept up to the man standing there, a familiar pair of eyes locking with hers, his pupils blown wide with shock. She suppressed a groan.

 _Fuck my life._

* * *

 _ **Fairy Tail Guildhall...**_

It had taken Levy a few months to grow accustomed to the frequent fights, excessive drinking, and boisterous noise that were commonplace inside the guild. She had to admit, there was never a dull moment here.

Still, it wasn't her true habitat.

Levy's heart drummed loudest in the soft silences of good books – in the quiet spaces where thoughts and words swirled unspoken, hidden. You have to open a novel to discover what adventure awaits you inside, cleaving apart the pages with your bare hands to find the beating heart of a story.

If the tale was good enough, it'll settle inside and transport you. You can be recreated by words alone. Enduring magic. True treasure. Unlike real jewels that diminish when you spend them, knowledge grows the more it's shared.

… And there was so much more to learn.

Sometimes the thought saddened her. No matter how fast she read, no matter how many languages she mastered, she would never know _everything._ Reading every book ever written was a physical impossibility, even for her.

She gave a dejected sigh, then examined her cuticles, painted cranberry for the occasion. Levy was wearing a pewter cashmere sweater that Lucy had gifted her for her birthday and leggings the colour of mulled wine. Her ubiquitous yellow headband pushed back her cobalt tresses, but other than that, she felt drab. She wasn't used to subdued hues, but Lucy had selected the items, and she found her best friend's expertise hard to resist.

Lucy had declared the outfit 'the perfect blend of fashionable and adorable, but in an effortless sort of way.'

Whatever _that_ was supposed to mean.

Levy sat at a central table, waiting for her mystery date to arrive. She had managed to convince Jet and Droy to go on a mission without her yesterday (for some reason, they were both sobbing uncontrollably,) and Gajeel was still away on his own job, due back on Monday, according to Mira.

Not that she cared if the iron oaf learned she'd conspired with Mira to meet her first date at the most public place she could think of.

It had nothing to do with him.

Nothing at all.

Absolutely nothing.

She was saved from her hamster-wheel thoughts by a newcomer striding through the wide double doors. Levy sucked in a breath. The stranger was tall and toned, with spiky white hair that seemed to have the faintest blue undertone, like frost. His dark eyes found hers and a friendly smile graced his features.

"Levy McGarden." He breathed, his voice warm and satisfied as his eyes did a quick downsweep of her while she was doing an upsweep of him.

She cleared her throat, training her eyes on his devastatingly handsome face. "Yes, I'm Levy, and you are…?"

"Forgive my manners, I'm Lyon Vastia. Your date for this evening." Lyon bowed low at the waist, before gesturing to the wooden chair across from her. "May I sit down?"

"Yes, please do."

Lyon sank into the seat, propping his elbows on the table and clasping his hands in front of him.

"I hear you're a great lover of literature."

 _Books?_ He wanted to talk about books? She had yet to met a man who was as fervently devoted to the written word as she was.

"Yes, I'm insatiable, actually. I love to read more than anything."

"Me too." His smile was bright enough to light the sun.

It struck Levy at once that she had never met someone so _shiny._ Snow white hair, sparking obsidian irises, glowing tanned skin, flashing white teeth. Even his white jacket with a tufted black fur collar positively _gleamed_. He stood out like a sore thumb against the normal men at Fairy Tail, but she instantly liked it.

Lyon seemed to like what he was seeing, too. His eyes roved over her and his cheeks burned when she caught him at it. He cleared his throat.

"Would you like to share a pot of oolong tea and some appetizers? I've only been to Fairy Tail a handful of times, but I know that Mira cooks some amazing gyoza. If you have any favourite foods, I'd love to try them."

"Sure, that sounds great."

Mira was suddenly _right there_ , with a steaming pot and two mugs perched on a tray, alongside Levy's preferred sweetener of clover honey.

"Here you are, one pot of tea, coming right up," she trilled in her birdsong voice as she set down the tea service, pouring each of them a cup.

Levy rolled her eyes, but added a teaspoon of honey to her drink.

"Thank you, Mira. You're unusually _prompt_ this evening. Can we split your chicken soba, the gyoza and some spicy edamame?" She tilted her head to Lyon. "Does that suit you?"

"Sounds perfect."

Mira held the empty tray to her chest the way a bride holds a bouquet. "I _knew_ this date would go well!"

Levy choked on her mouthful of tea.

"Mira!" she hissed, but caught a glimpse of something happening behind the barmaid.

Macao and Wakaba were at a table a good distance away, but she could've _sworn_ Wakaba was making a tiny smoke chibi Levy and Lyon holding hands and skipping behind her date's back. She groaned into her cup, trying to pass it off as blowing steam off the hot liquid.

Maybe meeting here wasn't such a great idea after all.

"It's only just begun, but I agree with you, Mira. Levy is exactly the type of girl who could sweep me off my feet," Lyon said without the least bit of compunction.

Mira and Levy both stared with mouths hanging open at Lyon. Mira looked like she might spontaneously combust with happiness.

Levy forced her mouth to close, studying the man across from her. He didn't look embarrassed and he certainly sounded sincere.

 _A man who's not afraid of saying what he's feeling?_

That was...refreshing.

She did a quick tally of all the pluses – polite, outspoken, and completely gorgeous.

Lyon Vastia was like a breath of fresh air.

Levy offered him a shy smile of agreement. For the barest beginnings of a first date, things seemed to be going _very well_ indeed.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

 _Fuck my life,_ Lucy thought as her eyes skittered up the long length of the man who stood frozen beside their table.

 _Of all the people to run into…_

"Oh hey! Totally didn't see you there," she said with false gaiety.

The obvious lie hung in the air like the blade of a guillotine. She tucked her chin down so her neck wasn't _quite_ so visible.

Hibiki's lips curdled. "You're Loke the Lion," he said flatly, taking in the form of the ginger-haired celestial spirit.

Loke nudged his periwinkle glasses up the tip of his nose with his forefinger, adjusting his weight to his left hip. "And you're Hibiki Lates."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Lucy asked, her glance flickering between the two men. She had known Loke used to be a part of Blue Pegasus, but that was years ago. She hadn't made the connection to him and The Trimens.

Loke crossed his arms in front of his chest, a scowl deepening the lines of his mouth. "Unfortunately, yes. Princess, what on Earthland are you doing here with _this guy?"_

Hibiki answered for her. "Lucy and I are on a date. Now if you don't mind, we'd like to continue our pleasant evening,"

"Date?" _With you?_ He broadcasted his thoughts down their shared link, looking to his master for confirmation.

Lucy licked her dry lips, trying to format a proper response. When she had told her spirits about the request board dating mission, Loke had immediately asked her to go out with him.

 _Again._

She'd refused, citing their working relationship. Now, with Hibiki Lates sitting across from her, wearing a slight smirk and an overly smug expression, Lucy knew her lion spirit was making comparisons...and wondering why he hadn't made the cut when the archive wizard did.

Truth be told, she had no good answer for that.

Hibiki cut in again, "Yeah, two people going out, sharing a meal and some conversation. A _date._ Isn't that why you're here?"

 _What?_ Lucy's gaze drifted over to the tall brunette woman she hadn't noticed standing behind the spirit.

" _Cana?_ "

The card mage waggled two fingers at her.

"Hey girl, how's the date going?" Cana smiled, threading her arm through Loke's.

Lucy had to admit, they looked good together. Comfortable.

"Um...fine, I guess," she said, noticing too late the way Hibiki's shoulders sagged at her answer.

"I mean, it's great. It's a wonderful date!" She nervously twisted a lock of her hair, yanking at the strands hard enough to cut off the circulation to her fingertip. "The food here is absolutely amazing _."_

Lucy didn't have to try to sound sincere about the last part. She was stuffed to the point where the top button of her skirt was digging painfully into her navel, but she was already planning her next meal here.

Loke straightened the lapels of his black suit jacket, letting his thumbs run underneath the crease in fabric. "You look as though you're about ready to leave?"

Hibiki gave a snort, picking up his dessert spoon once more. "Yes, we wouldn't intrude on your date."

The implication was clear. _As you've intruded on ours._ He turned himself away from the pair of loitering wizards, taking a bite of the chocolate lava cake in clear dismissal.

Loke gave a mirthless chuckle that sent a biting wind down her shared bond with the spirit. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"Loke, don't—" she started.

"Princess, since the date is basically over, why don't you stay here with Cana and me? We can catch up. I'm sure Hibiki has to get back to Blue Pegasus soon enough." Loke glanced down at the card mage for confirmation.

Cana was pressing into him like tree sap against bark.

She batted her eyelashes up at him. "I don't mind. The more the merrier, I always say. That goes for drinks, friends, guildmates, bedmates…"

 _Bedmates?_ Lucy's jaw unhinged as she met her friend's violet eyes. Cana winked back.

"Are you trying to steal my date?" Hibiki asked incredulously. He carefully laid down his silverware, inclining his head back towards the man.

Loke squared his shoulders, taking a stance with his feet wide and his hands on his hip bones.

"Lucy isn't an object to be stolen, pretty boy. If you didn't figure that out within ten seconds of meeting her, you don't deserve another second of her time."

Hibiki rolled his eyes and gave a loud snort.

"That little speech probably would've had more impact if your date didn't just literally offer Lucy a threesome right now." Hibiki threw his napkin on the table, his expression turning dyspeptic. "You think _I'm_ objectifying Lucy? You certainly have some brass balls, Loke, I'll give you that. But for your information, I don't think of Lucy as a _thing_. I do, however, take issue with you barging in on our dinner. Now please take your girlfriend, find your own table, and _leave_."

Hibiki touched two fingers to his forehead in mock-salute. "Thanks for dropping by!"

"Oh, I'm not Loke's girlfriend. We just have sex," Cana purred. She didn't bother to keep her voice down. Several heads swiveled in their direction.

"Hot, amazing sex that lasts for _hours,_ " she stressed, as if someone in the cheap seats at the back had asked for further clarification.

No one had.

More heads turned, distressed murmurs reaching Lucy's ears. With two quick motions, she was standing up.

"Hibiki, I apologize for their rudeness, especially since dinner was spectacular." She pulled several jewel from her handbag, "I feel like I should go now. Thank you for the date."

Pressing the bills firmly on the table, she ignored the stunned expression on Hibiki's face as she quickly swished past an equally dumbfounded Cana and Loke. Before anyone had a chance to react, she was already out the door, bolting up the street.

It didn't take more than five seconds for them to follow her.

"Lucy, wait!" Loke and Hibiki cried out.

She slowed her pace but didn't stop. When she sensed he was close enough, she pivoted fast, pushing Loke square in the chest. His face splashed with shock as he stumbled back a few steps.

"You know, causing a scene at the guild is one thing, but this is a place of business. Aakash prepared us a wonderful meal and then you came along and _ruined it!_ "

Loke's mouth formed a small circle of remorse as he stared helplessly at her.

Hibiki sauntered up beside her, slipping a proprietary arm around her shoulders.

"That's what I've been trying to say from the start, my petal. But we shouldn't let anything interfere with our evening. We've had a couple unfortunate run-ins with other people, yes. However, as I've learned from my team, when you're this beautiful," he waved a hand to encompass the two of them, "unwanted attention follows you everywhere you go."

Lucy shrugged off the arm, grinding her teeth as she backed away from both men.

A muscle in Loke's jaw was ticing.

"Like The Trimens don't seek out that attention. Take the hint, _Hotshot._ Lucy just walked out on you. No 'let's do this again sometime,' no goodnight kiss, no nothing. So maybe you should just go catch the early train back to Blue Pegasus!" He ripped a hand through his red-gold locks, making the strands wilder.

"How an arrogant asshole like you even managed to get a date with Lucy boggles my mind, but the show's _over._ She's way out of your league and far too good for the likes you. Wasn't dating Karen _enough_? Because I'm not going to lose Lucy, too. You just stay the hell away from her!"

"You dated _Karen_? _"_ The words rang out like the clang of a cathedral bell. Lucy clamped both hands over her mouth. She hadn't meant to shout them so loud. She honestly hadn't.

But... _Karen_?

Karen Lilica was everything a celestial wizard shouldn't be, as far as the blonde was concerned. She'd been abusive towards her spirits, especially Aries. If the Celestial King hadn't recognized the love in Lucy's heart for her friends and her desire to protect them, the lion spirit would be stardust by now.

"Yes, he dated Karen," Cana supplied. "Why do you think we came here? Just before Loke picked me up, I got the urge do a quick reading and the Help Lucy card lit up." She brandished a tarot card in Lucy's face.

Sure enough, a tiny picture of herself was there – eyes sealed shut, mouth screwed up as if she was about to scream, arms stiff at her sides with knotted fists.

"I don't need any help on a date!"

The fortune teller shrugged. "The card says otherwise, Little Lucy."

Cana slid the card back into her brown pouch, then rooted around her furry purse, coming up a silver flask. She uncapped it, taking two deep swallows.

Loke was so furious, he was practically spitting out the words, "This sleazeball isn't good enough for you, Lucy. Hit the road, Hibiki. Maybe you can archive up a map that'll show you how to _get lost!"_

"My magic doesn't even work like that…" Hibiki said, looking more confused than angry.

"That didn't even make sense," Lucy agreed.

" _What-the-fuck-ever!_ Can your peacock brain compute that you just got friend-zoned?" Loke roared, sparks of his power flaring around his clenched fists.

"Just tell him to stop bothering you, okay?" He begged.

Through their bond she _felt_ him. His pain, his terror…

...and his desperation.

Her heart cracked at the onslaught of emotions, then she saw the tears lining his eyes. She reached up to take his hand in her own.

 _It's okay, Loke. I'm here. I'm here. I wouldn't let you go,_ she told him.

It was similar to what she promised him so long ago – when the Celestial King had come down from his realm to mete out judgement on the zodiac spirit. Loke loosed a long breath and the tension left his shoulder blades.

He gave a tiny smile, a bare twitch of his lips curving upward. His mind-voice steady but seeming a distance away, as if he knew she had some private thoughts she wasn't ready to share and was respecting her boundaries.

 _As I will always be here for you, Lucy._

"I want a hug, too." Cana came to her other side, curling one arm around her waist.

Hibiki took in the sight of the three linked Fairy Tail wizards: one hostile celestial spirit, one half-drunk girl tettering on high heels, and the lovely blonde girl who was his date.

His gaze settled on Lucy.

"It was many years ago, but yes, I dated Karen. I loved her," he offered in a quiet voice.

Loke dropped Lucy's hand, glowering at the sandy-haired upstart in their midst. His burning light washed over his entire body as his magic snapped into place.

In an instant, his jacket was fluttering to the ground and he was pushing the sleeves of his dress shirt past toned forearms.

"Love?" he jeered, yanking his tie over his collar and pulling it free to drop on top of his coat. "You know nothing about love, you posturing creep! You knew who Karen was, what she was doing to Aries and _you did nothing to stop it!"_

The accusation rang through the air, hollowing out her ears like a shotgun blast. Before Lucy could orientate herself, Hibiki was shifting into a defense position, readying himself for the lion's attack.

"You think I didn't _try_? That I did _nothing_? I begged Karen to release you and Aries from your contracts. I pleaded with her to let me help, but she cut me off. She wouldn't see me. I knew she wasn't treating Aries well, but I didn't know the full extent of it until after she was dead. _After._ I was too late to save the woman I loved."

Loke pupils constricted into feral slits, and there was nothing remotely human within their charred, guttural depths. "She didn't deserve saving."

"You don't believe that." Lucy interceded, the words coming out before she could stop them. She reached up to lay her hand over Loke's. Her fingers felt like ice compared to the heat the celestial spirit was throwing off, but she held on.

Loke's gaze dropped to her hand.

Lucy softened her grip, her tone, her entire body.

"I know how haunted you were by Karen dying, how you would've let the guilt eat you alive and willingly sacrificed yourself if it meant atoning for her death. Don't let your pain and anger overwhelm you. You're better than that, Loke."

 _I'm not._

The thought was reflective, automatic – springing from a deep well of shame and guilt that Loke carried within him.

 _You are. You're better. You make me better, too._

Her lion spirit, the leader of the zodiac, and one of her dearest friends, turned to face her fully, Hibiki all but forgotten as Loke silently begged her to understand.

She tried to mentally form the words, to tell him she _did_ understand, but Hibiki released a shaky breath, drawing everyone's attention.

"You may despise me, Lion. But don't ever presume to know what my relationship with Karen meant to me. She had her flaws, plenty of them. But she also showed me a side of herself that no one else saw. Sometimes you love someone even if you can't agree with their actions. Some people let you in, and despite Karen's arrogance, she had a lot of insecurity. Caster magic is very different from any other type of wizardry. Karen felt inadequate because the majority of her power came from outside of herself and she zeroed in on the one thing she felt she could control absolutely – Aries."

Hibiki carded a hand through his hair, pacing in front of them as he spoke.

"She wouldn't listen to me at all. Karen could never see her own strength, so she used Aries' power instead. It was wrong, it was terrible, but I thought I could change her, make her see that love is what binds people together, not jobs or contractual obligation, but _love_. I thought I could eventually make things better, but before I had the chance, you had refused to let her dismiss you. You stayed on this side of earthland, ensuring she couldn't call any of her other spirits."

Hibiki stopped pacing, halting in front of Loke. "If I had known what you had done, I would've paid her rent, helped her in any way I could. But I _would_ _not_ have left her. I loved her too much for that."

Lucy she saw it then, why her and Hibiki were paired by Levy's magic.

Hibiki was a person who saw the good in others, and tried to coax that out of Karen. He wouldn't abandon her when others did.

… Even Loke.

She didn't blame her spirit. He was also protecting his friend. Karen was hard, but Aries was soft. Too soft to withstand such a wicked master. Too gentle to fight back. Too meek to show to anyone but her celestial brothers and sisters how broken she was becoming.

Lucy saw all this unfold before her and met Cana's gaze. The fortune-teller nodded.

"This got a little heavy for a first date, Lucy-Lu. But Hibiki and Loke needed to see each other, to clear the air."

Cana planted both hands on her hips and raised her voice an octave to address the men.

"It's been three years and it's about goddamn time to put all this guilt and festering bullshit behind us, boys. I knew Karen. She changed, in a lot of ways. I like to feel in her heart that she still knew how to love her spirits, but she wasn't being fair to them. No one here is to blame for her death. _No one._ You can love a person even if they aren't doing the right thing."

Loke grimaced, his shoulders slumping as he considered her words. He chewed at his bottom lip as the seconds ticked by, no one daring to break the silence before he did.

Lucy tried to keep her mind quiet, not wanting to influence him, but kept the channel between them open, sending a steady pulse of unwavering love and support.

Loke finally looked up, his voice tightly controlled, "I guess...maybe I could've given you more credit."

Hibiki rubbed the back of his neck, looking equally uncomfortable as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "And I should've tried harder to figure out exactly what was going on with Karen. The truth is, I think some part of me didn't want to know. I should've fought harder. For you. For Aries. For Karen. I'm sorry that I didn't. More sorry than you can ever know."

Loke seemed at a loss, looking to Lucy for guidance. She shrugged up at him, unsure where to start.

"Now kiss and make up!" Cana demanded, reaching up to try to smoosh Hibiki and Loke's faces together.

The men balked, but Lucy burst out laughing.

Loke snorted and the air around them grew even lighter. He extended a hand to Hibiki. "I shouldn't have cut in on your date with Lucy. For a pretty boy poser, I'll admit you're not that bad."

Hibiki glanced down at the proffered hand before giving it two firm pumps. "You're calling me a 'pretty boy poser?' That's the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?"

Loke chuckled, a strained sound to Lucy's ears, but at least he was _trying._

He bent over to retrieve his tie, looping it around his neck with practiced ease, pulling it into his usual half-Windsor knot. Even without the benefit of a mirror, the tie was perfect.

He plucked up his suit jacket, pausing as he glanced over at the archive wizard. Loke straightened, tossing his jacket over one shoulder.

Suddenly, Loke looked like he was modeling a cologne ad on a yacht. Shirt sleeves still rolled up past his elbows, one hand on his hip. He held the pose, wiggling his eyebrows.

Hibiki snickered, pointing a finger-gun at the spirit, and a small, genuine laugh erupted from Loke.

 _That boy loves his finger guns._

Hibiki strutted toward the spirit, and quickly the pair turned the sidewalk into a catwalk.

Loke's hands curled into paws as he swiped at the archive mage. Hibiki blew imaginary smoke from his index finger and holstered his hand, focusing his rapt attention solely on Lucy.

He gave a sultry smirk. His onyx eyes darkening, pupils blown wide. Billowing smoke chasing ink in his irises...

 _Holy mother of Mavis!_

She had no idea he could do _that._ A raw tingling sensation travelled up her entire body as his gaze became thick and intimate.

Lucy didn't dare move, afraid her knees might buckle. She stood rooted in place.

"Woo hoo! Yah!" Cana cheered, clapping wildly for both men.

Mercifully, Lucy was able to tear her eyes away.

 _What in the celestial heavens was that?!_

The Trimen was apparently more skilled in the art of seduction than she'd initially given him credit for. Not that she _wanted_ to be seduced by Hibiki, not when—

Cana bumped into her hip, sliding an arm around her waist.

"Well…" Cana breathed heavily in her face, the strong vodka scent making Lucy's eyes water. "It wasn't the two wizards you hoped would start fighting over you, but I'd say this was a pretty spectacular foray into the dating world."

"What are you talking about? I don't want _anyone_ to fight over me!" Lucy bristled at the insinuation, but could feel her heart throbbing painfully inside her chest.

Cana's raptor eyes didn't miss a thing.

"Ahhhh..." The card mage elongated the sound, tapping the side of her nose. "Your secret is safe with me _,_ Lucy."

"I don't _have_ any secrets. And will you please stop grabbing my boobs?" She glanced down at the wayward hand that was squeezing her breast with surprising gentleness.

Cana widened her lilac eyes innocently, lifting her right hand and keeping it raised as if she were about to swear an oath.

"Don't blame me if they were looking all forlorn. I was just giving them some much-needed attention."

"I don't think breasts can look _forlorn_ , Cana."

"You obviously haven't been around as much as me, Virgin Girl. I've definitely seen some sad tits in my time."

"Are you saying my breasts look miserable?" She shot an alarmed glance to her cleavage, but everything seemed to be in order. In the white shirt Erza had given her with the top three buttons unfastened, they looked quite nice, she thought.

"Well now, would you look at that? A few bounces and the sweet honeys perked right up." Cana examined her nails. "These hands work magic for more than just tarot cards, you know."

Lucy giggled, rolling her eyes. _Hopeless._ Trying to argue with Cana was _hopeless._

Hibiki bounded up to the pair. "Hey, Lucy? Can I borrow your whip? Loke thinks it would be a great idea to have me as a lion tamer…"

Lucy glanced over to her ginger-haired spirit. Loke sat gamely on his haunches, head cocked to the side in a purely animalistic manner.

"Uhhhh...whatever you guys are doing, just count me out."

"Aw, but we were going to have a modelling contest, Princess. You and Cana can decide which one of us has the best moves," Loke said.

"Sounds great to me!" Cana agreed, punching her flask into the air.

"Hibiki, can I talk to you for a second? In private?"

Before he had a chance to reply, she was grabbing him by the elbow, pulling him into a nearby alleyway.

The shadowy corner she selected was dank and smelled of rotting garbage and other...waste. The fumes were horrendous and they both plugged their noses.

Hibiki grimaced, his voice coming out in a nasal sigh. "Okay, you're right. No more posing. I just thought you might enjoy me spending some quality time with your friends. Eve, Ren and I have impromptu beauty pageants all the time, so I admit I have an unfair advantage, but your spirit has some discernible talent, too."

"It's not that, it's just…" She faltered, searching for the words, "It's just that I think we're better off being friends. You're a great guy and I had a nice time tonight, but with you being in Blue Pegasus, me being in Fairy Tail, your history with Karen…" She let the thought peter out.

"I understand, beautiful," Hibiki gave a reassuring smile. "I'm glad we had this opportunity to see each other again, and I'm especially thankful that Loke and I were able to move past my relationship with Karen. If nothing else, I will be grateful for that."

"Me too," she said sincerely, stretching up to plant a kiss on his cheek. He stared down at her in surprise.

"I'm leaving now, but you keep having fun with Loke and Cana, okay?"

She turned to escape the narrow passageway, desperate for fresher air, but Hibiki caught her by the shoulder and she half-turned back to him.

"Let me walk you home."

"I'm okay, Hibiki. I'm perfectly safe and could use the time by myself." She gestured toward where Loke was balancing on one leg in some sort of ninja dance move, Cana twerking beside him.

"As you can probably tell, alone time is a rare treat in our guild."

Hibiki stared at the pair, the longing easy to read on his face.

"It's fine, honestly. Go! Go have fun!" Lucy grabbed his wrist, pulling him beside her as she called out to her friends. "Hey guys, I'm heading out, but Hibiki's staying!"

"But if you leave, who's going to judge the contest? Cana's joined the party," Loke asked.

"We have two gorgeous men wiggling their asses for us. Come on, Little Lucy! Stay and have a few drinks!"

"It would be more fun with you here," Hibiki tried.

Lucy gave the three a smile, backing up with both palms raised.

"I'm good, guys. I think this was the best, strangest blind date a girl could've asked for, but I'm calling it a night. Enjoy yourselves!"

Before they could say or do anything else, she was lifting a hand in farewell, turning away and walking a few steps before realizing she needed to go southwest, not east. She sheepishly waved again as she orientated herself in the proper direction.

The trio waved back this time. When Cana raised her arm, Hibiki grabbed the silver flask from her other hand, taking a quick sip.

"You could've just asked!" She swatted him.

"Where's the fun in _that?"_

The sound of Cana's cursing followed by Hibiki and Loke's answering laughter rang out for a quarter of a block before fading behind Lucy.

As she headed home in the gathering darkness, she had no idea that Natsu was laying in wait for her.

* * *

 _ **A/N – I always thought Loke and Hibiki should've had a showdown regarding Karen in canon Fairy Tail. Since they didn't, it was my duty to write one in. And I love Cana. LOVE HER. Do you have a favourite character in FT? Let me know! I love to talk about all things FT-related!**_

 **I have also recently updated my other story, If the Shoe Fits. I'd love to hear from you guys on that one, too!**

 _ **Congratulations to my amazing friend and beta, Satyrykal on finishing her**_ _ **Master's**_ _ **degree! You're a rockstar!**_

 _ **Satyrykal is currently writing five ongoing Nalu fics! FIVE! Because she's brilliant and insane but mostly insanely brilliant. Her stories are: Helix, Departure, The Edge, Once Upon A Dream, and Miraculous! Her completed story is Boiling Point. Please check her out, she's phenomenal!**_

* * *

 _Thank you to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed from last chapter!_

 _Cana-levels of drunken debauchery and thanks to: JAKEDSNAKE, TheJSmooth, valerioux, MasterGildarts, Jca007, ShanaHollows, NaLuAlways25, BrokenAngelWings83, stranger1999, Slash2104, DreamWeaver2121, ligersrcool, star, Professor of Gallifrey, monitorchick, Bs trinkets, YukiMC, noseinabook145, mykind121, Lovetoreadff, unicorn of fire, savwafair, AzmariaMinochi, Katnibal94, Fairy Rains, iaga isabella, and nationalcarmen!_


	20. Chapter 20 - Lucy's Night

_**Beta: Satyrykal**_

* * *

 _Dedication: I would like to start dedicating chapters to people who keep reading my work_ _ ***cough—in spite of the long wait between updates—cough.***_

 _ **MissVarta, BrokenAngelWings83, ken0320, ABT4Life**_ _and_ _ **stranger1999,**_ _this one's for you._

 _Note: The next three chapters all take place on the same night, just from three different points of view._

 _Without further ado, enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Lucy's Night**

" _She wasn't doing a thing that I could see,_

 _except standing there, leaning_

 _on the balcony railing,_

 _holding the universe together."_

– J. D. Salinger

* * *

Lucy walked home in the wooly darkness, the air steadily dipping from tepid to wintry. She shivered, hugging her chest and hurrying her steps. She wanted nothing more than to have a good soak in the tub, and then to stay up late reading the smutty novel that Erza had snuck into the pile of armour she'd gifted her.

Not that she was into that sort of thing.

(She was totally into that sort of thing.)

Erza seemed to have some sort of sixth sense that Lucy wouldn't be brave enough to purchase such racy material, so the redhead had taken it upon herself to leave books behind whenever she visited the blonde by 'accident.'

Lucy smiled as she dug out her keys. Erza proved herself again and again to be a good friend.

She pushed open her door to find a pitch black apartment. Flicking up the hallway lightswitch did nothing. Lucy stubbornly toggled it a few more times, just in case it hadn't really burned out.

To her dismay, it had.

Sagging against the closed door, she tugged off her boots, wiggling her stocking-covered toes into the wooden floor.

"Hey Luce."

She almost jumped out of her skin – pulse pounding hard in her ears. She doesn't drop Taurus' key, but it was a near thing. She fumbled slightly to get a firm grip when she noticed the dim outline of spiky hair sitting in her living room.

"Natsu! What are you doing here?"

"Just came to see you."

 _Seriously?_

Lucy shoved her keyring back into her pocket, trying to will her rapidly beating heart to slow down. She was _tired._ It had been a long day.

"Yeah, well...now you see me," she grumbled, pulling off her peacoat.

"Yes. Now I see you."

Something in his voice made her stop moving, one coat sleeve still dangling from her arm. Lucy became aware of his eyes tracking her in the dark – gaze heavy as touch. Pressing in on her.

"Natsu?" His name came out in a ragged whisper.

Brightness flared as he turned on the lamp.

"And now I see ya even better!" he cackled, slapping his knee.

 _Yeah, of course._

She blinked a few times as her pupils adjusted to the harsh light. Lounging on her couch, Lucy saw the same old goofball Natsu as always. His messy coral locks and flashing smile were warm and familiar. This was the man she knew. The one who broke into her apartment all the time and cracked lame jokes.

Why would she ever expect anything else?

She swallowed thickly, moving towards him, the coffee table putting a comfortable distance between them. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"

Natsu stretched with his arms over his head, his toned biceps flexing as he yawned. "I wasn't sitting. I took a nap and didn't wake up until I heard your keys in the door."

Breaking into her apartment wasn't unusual, though this was the first time she'd caught him sleeping. She sometimes kicked up a fuss about him dropping by uninvited and unannounced, but she'd long ago resigned herself to the fact that Natsu had very little concept of personal space.

It hadn't truly bothered her much since the first time. Having Natsu around made life more fun.

"Did you want something to eat? I have some salmon I could pan-fry and I can make rice."

"Nah, I'm good. I ate at the guild earlier," He patted his bare stomach, the motion pushing his vest to the side to expose more of his muscular chest. She tried not to look too closely, afraid he'd catch her ogling and tease her for it.

Natsu kept talking, "Happy stuffed himself on tuna and said he had a bad case of indigestion. Wendy took him home with her."

She pulled her gaze up to his face again, happy to latch onto a safe topic. "Do you think he pulled the sick card just to stay near Charle?"

Natsu smiled fondly, the jade in his irises sharp and polished. "Probably."

"Huh. That's actually pretty smart of him."

"Happy's always made his feelings known but he's not above scheming to get what he wants."

She snorted. "Yes, I'm well aware of that. The first time we met, he accused me of ruining the fish he wanted to give Charle and told me point-blank that he'd much prefer Levy to be on your team."

Natsu tipped back his head and laughed, the sound filling up the room."Yeah, that's Happy for you. He's pretty bold."

 _How about you, Natsu? Would you be bold?_

The thought jarred her, sending her reeling back a few steps. She managed to squeak out, "I'll make us some tea."

Lucy hurried out of the room before he had a chance to respond. With the tap water running to cover the sound of her deep sigh, she filled the kettle and put it on the stove to boil. She gave herself a hard pinch because surely, _surely_ she was acting like a complete weirdo.

Ignoring the twin crescent moons from her nails and the sting radiating up her arm, Lucy opened her cupboard for mugs; but instead of reaching for them, she braced both her hands against the counter, her mind whirling.

 _What's going on with you?_

She wished she knew.

Something seemed to have unsettled inside her lately, and damned if she could figure out why.

Lucy busied herself with finding Natsu's favourite dragonfruit tea and the sakura blend she wanted. The kettle whistled and she measured leaves, letting them steep before removing the sieves. By the time she finished getting everything in order, she felt closer to her normal self.

"Here you are," she announced as she walked back into the living room, offering him the ceramic mug. Normally as a good hostess, she would pass it over handle first and risk scalding her own fingers, but Natsu could tolerate the heat far better than she could.

"Thanks, Luce," he said, reaching for it.

"You're welcome."

She sat at the other end of the sofa, getting comfortable against the striped pillow on the armrest.

"How'd the date go?" Natsu asked once she had settled in.

Lucy gave a small shrug, careful not to let the motion spill her drink onto her lap. The last thing she needed was second-degree burns. "Fine, I guess. It was with Hibiki, but Cana and Loke ended up crashing it. They had a bit of an argument, but everything got sorted out in the end. They were still hanging out when I left them."

Natsu didn't reply right away, gulping his hot drink.

"Are you going to see him again?"

She felt a blush heating up her cheeks, a scowl deepening the lines of her mouth. "No. I mean yes, I'm sure I'll still see him on jobs or whatnot. But no, not like that. We just didn't click that way."

She tried to study the dragon slayer carefully as she spoke, but he didn't react at all to her statement. He looked far more interested in the tea than in her.

The conversation lapsed again. Lucy didn't want to talk more about Loke and everything to do with Karen and Hibiki. It was all too complicated and too fresh in her mind. She _especially_ didn't want to get into what Cana had said about 'men fighting over her,' and keeping Lucy's secrets.

Besides, Cana was wrong. Lucy was an open book! It would be insane for her to fall for Natsu. He was her best friend, her partner.

And maybe...just _maybe_ , she _had_ been thinking about him a bit more frequently, but it's not like anything had ever happened between them, because nothing ever had.

Never.

Not even once.

It's not like she curled tight around the memory of them after their first mission together, when Natsu had leaned into her after Mt. Hakobe, where she'd stupidly blushed and bleated, turning him away before he did...whatever it was he was about to do.

He had never brought up that night and Lucy was too embarrassed to ask.

Besides, she couldn't say for certain if her mind wasn't playing tricks on her that day. She'd been completely depleted of magic and Natsu had been knocked unconscious _twice_ prior to that _,_ first by Happy in order to free him from the siren's thrall, then by Erza on the train.

 _I can hardly blame him for not remembering. He must've been delirious or suffering from a concussion._

Head injuries weren't exactly a prelude to romance.

Since that one time, Natsu looked at her, but his eyes didn't linger. He touched her, but never held her close. He ruffled her hair, but never tucked a stray lock of it behind her ears. He complimented her magic, but never flattered her about her appearance.

In short, he treated her exactly as she treated him – as a platonic friend.

Exactly how it should be.

So why did it even matter if—on the odd occasion—she laid awake at night, thinking of things she probably _shouldn't?_ She wasn't hurting anyone. Only herself if she wasn't careful.

"Hey, we should go on a job soon," Natsu offered, breaking her reverie.

"Yeah, sure," she muttered. If her voice sounded slightly more subdued than usual, she blamed it on her fatigue.

They drank in silence for a few minutes before Natsu ventured, "So...I have something I need to confess, Luce."

"Confess?" She put her mug on the table, shifting in her seat so she could look at him directly without cricking her neck.

Natsu rubbed at his knee with his free hand. "Yeah, when I came into your apartment earlier, I got bored so I started looking around…"

"You were snooping, you mean," she supplied for him.

He coughed, his cheeks staining pink. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

"I call it that because that's the correct word for rummaging around in someone's personal belongings when they aren't home," she said dryly before thinking about what _exactly_ Natsu could've gotten into. Her diary? She kept it in a lockbox, carrying the key with her at all times. Even if her partner found the box, she couldn't picture him destroying it.

He respected her that much at least, right?

"I saw some letters from your dad," he told her.

"Oh? Is that all?" She sighed in relief. "Yeah, he writes to me a lot, but I haven't been doing a good job at replying as of late."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. He wants you to come visit him."

"Yeah well, good luck with that," Lucy grimaced, bitterness curdling like sour milk in her stomach. "I'll go see him when I get the chance."

Natsu squirmed slightly, but the guilt on his face was offset by the determination in his eyes. "I know it's not my place..."

"It's really not," she stressed, not caring that she'd interrupted him. Partner or not, digging through her belongings and then wanting to have a discussion about what he found was crossing all sorts of lines.

Natsu carded his hands through his roseate locks in an uneasy gesture. "I know it's not, Lucy. I just...I can tell that he really misses you."

"You think he _misses_ me?" She asked, torn between incredulity and outrage. Without hesitation, she bounded up from the couch, crossing the room in four long strides. She retrieved her purse from near the door, pulling out Jude's most recent letter. Stalking back to Natsu, she thrust it into his hands. "Here, read this."

Natsu gingerly unfolded the crumpled up parchment and scanned the words. When he finished reading, his eyebrows were knitted together in confusion. "He's asking you to come visit him."

"Yeah, but did you see _why?_ So he can set me up!" She spat out, jamming her index finger to the right passage, where the words were printed clear as day: _If you find being in the company of an old man like me unbearable, I know of some young people in the area that would be happy to make your acquaintance, Lucy._

Natsu waved a careless hand. "It says _people_ not men. Maybe he just wants you to make more friends?"

"I have other letters. Ones where he specifically says dates, Natsu."

Her partner shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. For some reason, him acting so indifferent about her love life infuriated her even further.

"Have you told him you want to find someone on your own?" he asked.

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?"

"I mean if you talk to him about it, he might leave you alone."

"I don't owe him a goddamn thing!" She bit out, ripping the paper from his hands and balling it up in her fist. Lucy could feel her blood pressure rising, her face burning with indignation.

What did _Natsu_ know about anything? He didn't know about all the times she'd cried herself to sleep after her mom died. He didn't know about her loneliness as a child and how deeply her father's distance had hurt her.

He didn't know that from the ages of eight to eleven, she'd been forced to sit by herself at a vast dining room table on her birthday – a cake in front of her, deferential servants standing on the sidelines, singing 'Happy Birthday' to her while her dad was out of town, negotiating his next business deal.

Natsu didn't know how she had to force a smile on her face as she unwrapped a pile of presents that reflected who her father expected her to be _,_ not who she was.

He didn't know about all the Christmas mornings where she didn't wake up until noon. Why bother? She had no family to share the day with her.

More than that, Natsu didn't know about the other days, the worst ones.

Some random nothing morning that shouldn't have started off any different from all the other monotonous days, but somehow _did._ How hard it had been to simply get out of bed and pretend _it was all okay._

He didn't know…

Her brain tripped over the line of thought.

He didn't _know_ , period.

Because she had never told him.

Lucy felt her face flushing again, this time with embarrassment. She scoured her brain, trying to remember how much Natsu _really_ knew about her upbringing.

Not much.

It wasn't his fault he came to the wrong conclusion.

She took a deep, steadying breath, organizing her thoughts. She sat cross-legged next to him, turning to face him fully. Natsu mimicked her pose, folding his long legs underneath him, tilting his head down to look at her.

"I haven't really gotten into my childhood much, but after my Mom died when I was eight, my father basically became a ghost. He rarely came around and when he did, I was supposed to be seen, not heard. He treated me like a possession, a doll to be dressed up, displaying perfect manners…" Lucy paused, her thoughts jumbled by a thousand images. It hadn't been like that when Layla was alive.

It felt like she had a quail's egg stuck in her throat. She tried to swallow, but the lump seemed to grow bigger. "We were all so close when I was young, but the second my mom died, he abandoned me for years, Natsu. _Years._ Do you know how lonely I was in that mansion? Homeschooled by tutors with only adults around me? When my mom was alive, I had friends, but I didn't see them again after she was gone. My dad didn't see the need for it, I guess. I doubt he even thought that much about it. There was always the next big merger..."

That was what had hurt the most—not even the abandonment itself, but the carelessness of it—how easily she'd been relegated to the same category as a houseplant. Something to be watered and fed and cared for, but nothing more than that.

It was one of the many small wedges that had insidiously opened a chasm between them.

"Even going to Mermaid Heel... _hell_ , I told you about that. I had to manipulate my father into letting me go by having Cancer dye his hair pink while he slept. If I hadn't done it, I'd probably still be locked inside that house. Then, once I left, I hardly ever heard from him. When I did go home, he was always busy working and seemed to forget I was even there…" she trailed off, blinking back hot tears.

Lucy had shed more than enough tears over her father. She didn't need to indulge in any more.

Natsu reached out to rub her shoulder gently, his grip hesitant. "I'm sorry, that sounds horrible. I didn't know."

"It was _horrible."_ The words bubbled over before she could stop herself, long buried feelings rubbed raw. "And now...he wants me? _For what?_ To tell me that coming to Fairy Tail was a mistake? To offer my hand in marriage as a signing bonus for his next deal?" Her eyes widened in terror at the mere thought. She wouldn't put it past him.

Lucy shook her head, trying not to let her imagination run away from her. "I have no idea what his real motive is and frankly I don't care. I just know that I've worked damn hard for my independence. I pay my own rent, buy my own food. _I don't need him."_

Natsu slipped his hand around her back, pulling her to him. She let herself lean into him, her face pressed into his vest, breathing in his smouldering maple tree scent – woodsy and sweet. She didn't want to talk anymore. She just wanted to stay there, with Natsu, just like this. Lucy closed her eyes, imagining he was holding her for another reason...not just for comfort, but because he wanted to be close to her.

Her illusion shattered at his next words.

"Maybe he needs you," Natsu whispered into her hairline.

Lucy bolted out of his grasp, scrambling to the far end of the couch.

"Natsu, I just _told you_ what he needs me for. _I can't believe this!_ Are you seriously taking his side? You want me to go back there? You want me to leave the guild? You want me to leave..." _You_ almost slipped out, but she quickly corrected, "all my friends? This is my home now. I found a _family_ here."

"Lucy, I know that. I just...it's hard to see you like this."

"Like what?"

"Angry. Resentful. This isn't you, Luce."

She made a strangled noise that might've been a laugh on her better days. _"It is me, Natsu._ I have skeletons in my closet like everyone else. If I want to be mad at my dad, well...I think after ten years of neglect, I have that right."

Natsu sighed heavily. "I'm not saying that. Look, can you listen to me? Just for a second?"

Lucy gave an irritated huff, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I don't know what else there is to talk about."

Natus just looked at her, waiting and her resolve broke. She worried her lower lip before glancing away. "Fine, I'm listening."

"I would fight for my family. Period. I would go down swinging for everyone in Fairy Tail."

"I know that."

"Then you know I lost my dad, right?" At her nod, he continued, "I woke up and Igneel was just gone. He vanished on my seventh birthday."

In spite of her annoyance, Lucy felt a sympathetic pang. Both her and Natsu had lost a parent far too young. Despite knowing about Igneel, she was utterly unprepared for the devastation that shadowed Natsu's face as he thought of his foster-father.

Lucy uncrossed her arms, her ire draining from her all at once at Natsu's haunted expression. She probably had looked the same when she'd been talking about her mom. She wanted to help, but she knew from experience that grief tore you apart piece by piece, taking the best parts, and that nothing anyone ever said could make you whole again. Not even close.

She tried anyway.

"I didn't realize it was on your birthday. You never said," she offered quietly.

Natsu gave a small one-shouldered shrug. "It doesn't bother me so much that it was my birthday. I don't really care about that. But the fact that I've never been able to find him? _That's_ what bothers me."

She couldn't even imagine how hard that must've been. At least with her mom, she'd gotten a chance to say goodbye. She bit down hard on her lower lip, not wanting to say the wrong thing and upset him further.

He gave her a helpless look, one that fractured her breastbone. "All I'm trying to say is… I would do anything to see him again."

"That's because your father loved you, Natsu."

Natsu arched a surprised brow at her. "You don't think your dad loves you?"

The _no_ Lucy felt like spitting out tasted like a lie, so she said instead, "I think we have a complicated relationship."

"I know I ain't as smart as you, but I'm also seeing things from outside. I think he cares about you, Luce. I think...at the very least, he's trying."

"Trying to do _what_ is the question."

"I have no idea," Natsu admitted, "but how can you find out if you don't talk to him?"

Lucy opened her mouth to argue, but Natsu laid his hand over hers, squeezing gently.

"I don't know if I'll ever see Igneel again. I don't know if my time with him is done. All I know is that I'd give anything to have him back. Even just for the day. An hour. Just to tell him I love him. Don't be full of regret."

Natsu got up from the couch and went to her open window, perching on the ledge. Words seemed trapped inside her throat, her tongue nailed to the roof of her mouth. Something hollow and throbbing opened up in her chest as she stared at him. He held her gaze, his gem-green irises darkening with something soft.

"Write him back, Luce."

Then he was gone, leaving behind only a chill breeze and a twisting ache inside her heart.

* * *

 _A/N – Whew! That was a hard chapter. I had pacing problems. Sorry about the long wait. Hope you enjoyed it! Levy's date is up next!_

 _I participated in_ _ **Nalu Week 2019**_ _, which was a lot of fun. It's a series of one-shots if anyone wants to check them out!_

 _I also have another story,_ _ **If the Shoe Fits,**_ _a Cinderella/Nalu story I'm writing for_ _ **Satyrykal.**_ _I will try my best to update it soon!_

 _Thanks a million times to_ _ **Satyrykal**_ _for her edits and sorting me out. Much love to you!_ _ **Satyrykal**_ _has all these amazing Nalu stories on here:_ _ **Once Upon a Dream, Helix, Departure, The Edge,**_ _and_ _ **Miraculous.**_ _Her completed story,_ _ **Boiling Point**_ _is phenomenal. Please check her out!_

 _I asked last time who your favourite FT characters are! I loved reading your responses! For myself,_ _ **Lucy, Levy,**_ _and_ _ **Cana**_ _are my favourite women in FT. (I like Lucy's pureness and insecurities, Levy's intellect and optimism, and Cana is wise, hilarious and totally shameless. I love writing her.)_

 _For FT men, I love_ _ **Gajeel, Natsu**_ _and_ _ **Jellal**_ _! No one else said Jellal, but I'm hoping to win some people over very soon. ;)_

* * *

 **Thank you to my reviewers from last time! *\\(^o^)/***

 **TheJSmooth, Slash2104, stranger1999 (x2), Katnibal94, Lodemai04, FireShifter, MasterGildarts, Jcat007, savwafair, valerioux, ShanaHollows, ManderNaner, Professor of Gallifrey, YukiMC, NaluAlways26, bs trinkets, JAKEDSNAKE, ligersrcool, noseinabook145, Epic Otaku Cherry, monitorchick, Shadow365, justsomeIGgirl, Ksrjah-Sassypringles, alleycat1138, AzmariaMinohi, Guest, fieryheart1120, and of course, Satyrykal! *\\(^o^)/***


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